A Demon's Fate
by SonShaSil01
Summary: At a young age, Tomas Vrbada was taken by the Lin Kuei for his unique ability of controlling smoke, therefore he was given the codename Smoke. The clan promised to help the warrior get back his memories, but they only wish to use Tomas for their own personal gain. They are not the only ones, however. What was so special about this silver-haired ninja?
1. Prologue: Awakening

**Prologue: Awakening**

In a secluded area within the Krimson Forest, a hidden cavern can be found within a mountain. Although it may appear that no living creature has ever stepped foot in this place, someone has made the cave his home. For a while now, a red dragon had been waiting and watching over its charge, which appeared to be a big stone that had weird symbols etched onto it. The beast slowly whipped its tail back and forth as it looked up at the ceiling, or at least its head was leaned back to face the ceiling. It was hard to tell what the dragon was looking at since its eyes were white with no pupils.

He had been in contact with someone over the years so he could be aware of what was happening in the outside world, but up until a few hours ago, the dragon had lost his connection with his comrade. This could be the sign he had been waiting for. Maybe it was finally time for the quest. Not knowing what else he should do, he looked over to the stone he had been guarding. His eyes slowly began to glow as he sent a telepathic message to the rock, causing the symbols to glow as well. After a moment, cracks began to form on the outside of the stone. With incredible force, someone busted out of the rock. A man.

Stepping out of the rubble, the man shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He was bald and wore an all-black outfit with a dragon tattoo on the left side of his face.

"Do not worry, Daegon. Your strength will return to you shortly."

The man, Daegon, looked up at the dragon. He widened his eyes in surprise when he realized someone else was there with him.

"Caro? What are you doing here?"

"Your parents asked me to be your protector until you awoken from your slumber. You are no longer in Edenia. It was decided that you would be hidden away in Earthrealm for you own safety as well as your brother's."

"My brother? Where is he now?"

"I am not sure of his exact location. Orin was assigned as his guardian, so only he knows of Taven's whereabouts."

"I see. What about my mother and father?"

"They both remain in Edenia to protect it from Shao Kahn. From what I understand, the emperor wishes to conquer the realm for himself."

Daegon stood silently for a moment to process what Caro just told him. The last thing he remembered was him and his brother being sent to his father's throne room, but after that...

"Take me to father, Caro. I must speak with him."

"I am going to send you to your father's temple. There, you will find an altar that must place your hand on. Your father will speak to you there and he will present you with a gift, a weapon for your quest."

"Wait... weapon? Quest? I do not understand."

"You and your brother must compete in a competition that will determine the fate of Mortal Kombat Kombatants. Whether they will be killed, or their powers nullified is up to whoever wins."

"Who are these... "kombatants"?"

"Allow me to show you, Daegon."

At that, Caro used his powers to project a holographic image in front of the young man. It looked blurry at first, but the picture soon focused and became clear. The image portrayed a battle between warriors from different realms.

"A long time ago, your mother, Delia, had a vision that foresaw a future where fighters who participated in a tournament known as Mortal Kombat would eventually engage in war. This war would lead realms being destroyed and many people being killed, including the warriors themselves. Some sought to protect their realms from evil while others wished to rule over the realms. The Elder Gods created the tournament to keep the balance among the realms, but Mortal Kombat will only lead to mass genocide."

"So... what exactly does this war have to do with this "quest" my brother and I must complete?"

"Both of your parents agreed that the warriors had to be stopped in order to stop this "Armageddon", but they could not agree on a method to accomplish that objective. Your mother, knowing that many of the fighters had good hearts, believed that they should just have their powers taken from them so that their fighting would not cause such cataclysmic results. Your father Argus, however, believed the only solution would be to destroy the kombatants altogether. It was then decided that you and Taven would be the ones to make that decision."

"Therefore, my parents created this quest, correct?"

"Yes, that is right. Near the end of your journey, you will have to fight against Taven using the armor and weapons your parents left you and whoever is victorious in that will face a creature of your mother's creation."

The image changed and depicted a humanoid being whose body was composed entirely of fire. Daegon looked at the creature in awe.

"What is this?"

"This is Blaze. Your mother created him as the final obstacle in your quest. Once you defeat him, you will not only gain his power, but you will become the new protector of Edenia in place of your father. You will become a pure god."

Daegon took a moment to process what Caro has told him. Armageddon, quest, Blaze... it was hard to believe, but the dragon had told him this himself and Caro has never lied to him.

"Alright, I believe you, Caro, but still wish to discuss this with Father. How do I get to his temple from here?"

As if to answer Daegon's question, a portal opened next to the red dragon. The gateway was red and a holographic dragon resembling Caro circled it.

"Walk through this portal and you will be teleported to the Botan Jungle. Within the center of the area, you will find Argus' temple and there he will answer any other questions you may have about the quest."

"Then I must be on my way. Thank you, Caro."

"Of course, son of Argus, and may the Elder Gods watch over you."

The demi-god gave a quick bow to the dragon before heading toward the portal, but before stepping through, the most sinister grin crossed Daegon's face.

**Hey, guys. This is SonShaSil01. I just wanted to say thank you to those that read and reviewed my first fanfic, which is a Professor Layton fanfic. If you haven't checked it out, it's called "Professor Layton and the Prophecy of Angels." It is not finished yet, but I do intend to complete the story. I just wanted to put this idea out there, because it just popped into my head and I did not want to forget it. To be honest, I hated the way MK9 ending! They killed off my favorite character (which is Smoke by the way) in the stupidest way! I mean, he could've just turned into smoke so Sindel couldn't snap his neck, but NO! Sorry, I just had to get that out. Anyway, this story takes place during the MK9 storyline with Smoke as the main character. He just does not get enough love, man!**


	2. Chapter One: Unfortunate Events

**Chapter One:****Unfortunate Events**

Bright, silver orbs looked up at the ceiling tiredly. He knew he should try to go back to sleep, but his mind would not allow that. There was just too much for him to think about and those thoughts were keeping him awake. Sighing, he sat up on the mat he had been sleeping on and stretched. It was almost dawn anyway. Might as well start the day early.

He got up and turned the lights on in the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hands to get some of the water and throw it in his face. He did that a few times, turned the faucet off, and looked up in the mirror. Combing his hair back, he examined his face, which was now dripping with water. He was more alert now, but he still felt exhausted. Fortunately, it did not show.

"At least that is one thing that has gone right this morning. Good for you, Tomas."

Tomas Vrbada. Not many people called him by his real name. He preferred it that way, at least until he figured out who exactly "Tomas" was. The silver-haired man suffered from amnesia and he only managed to remember his name. No other memories had resurfaced over the past twenty years since he had been recruited by a ninja clan called the Lin Kuei. After he took a quick shower, Tomas started to put his uniform on and reminisce about the time he had spent here in China.

When he was found by the Lin Kuei as a boy, they were intrigued by his power over smoke. It was for that reason that the man was given the codename "Smoke." A bit lazy, but that name earned him respect not only from his fellow clanmates, but the Grandmaster himself. The Grandmaster, Oniro, had promised to help Tomas find his missing memories if he joined the clan, but he has not learned anything more about his than when he was on his own.

Smoke quietly stepped out into the hall and closed his room door. There was no need to disturb anyone else's much needed hours of sleep. He managed to make it to the dojo without his black boots making a sound. Not that it made any difference once Tomas realized there was someone already inside the training area. He stopped and saw that the person was hitting a punching bag. More tears appeared on the sack the more the warrior attacked, and sand was starting to leak from it.

The fighter had short, black hair and wore a blue and black uniform. His sapphire eyes were narrowed in concentration as he continued to beat on the bag with sweat starting to form on his forehead. Eventually, the chain that held the bag up broke and the force of the man's punch sent it flying into the wall. Smoke whistled in amusement.

"I hope you were not imagining me as you were assaulting that bag. That is the fifth one you have destroyed this week, Kuai."

Kuai, or Tundra for that was his codename, simply smirked and picked up a towel he had laying on a bench. He also grabbed a bottle of water and unscrewed the top.

"No, I was not imagining anyone. I guess I am just a little excited."

"Excited? You?"

"Yes, ME. I overheard the Grandmaster talking to one of his guards and he said that the warriors who had been sent to participate in the tournament should be coming back today."

"You mean Bi-han and Cyrax are coming home? Are you sure?"

"Of course. I would not mistake something like that. But that also means that Sektor is coming back, too."

_Unless he died in the tournament, _Smoke thought to himself. He did not wish death upon the man, but if death did take him, it was probably because of his own arrogance. Sektor, who happened Oniro's son, uses his father's position to make others bow down to him. It annoyed the spoiled ninja that Tomas was the one person in the world who did not care whether he was the son of the Grandmaster. That fact never scared the gray ninja.

But going back to the other two ninjas, Tomas knew that his friend was happy to hear that Bi-han, known better as Sub-zero, would be coming home. He was happy about Cyrax too, but Sub-zero was Kuai's brother and the only blood relative he had here. The two brothers had been in the Lin Kuei longer than Smoke and Cyrax have. Kuai was a baby when he arrived while Bi-han was two. Both of them had power over the element of ice, hence their codenames, Sub-zero and Tundra.

Cyrax was originally from Botswana in Southern Africa and unlike his comrades, he had memories of his family before being recruited. The Botswanan was a genius when it came to technology and weaponry, therefore the Grandmaster appointed him head of the Lin Kuei's armory. Although Cyrax lacked any kind of powers, his intelligence and skills more than made up for that. Smoke, Tundra, and Sub-zero were honored to have the yellow-clad warrior by their side.

"After I heard the news, it was hard for me to go to sleep, so I came out here to train. Why are you up so early, Tomas?"

"Just could not sleep. No other reason."

Kuai nodded and sat on the bench while drinking some water. He reached beside him and grabbed another bottle of water he had brought. He tossed that one to Tomas.

"Thanks. You must have known that I would be coming."

"I knew SOMEONE was going to be coming."

Smoke took a seat next to his friend on the bench. He propped his elbows on his knees and leaned forward while Tundra wrapped his towel around his neck.

"So, what do you think about this tournament, Tundra?"

"I have not really thought about it actually. I just hope my brother and Cyrax are alright. The Grandmaster says it is an honor to be chosen to fight in Mortal Kombat, though. I was a bit disappointed that neither you nor I was chosen to participate."

"I am not. Although I do not fear dying, I do not want our lives to be put on the line just fame and glory. Whatever reason the Grandmaster has for entering the Lin Kuei for the tournament must be a good one."

Kuai suddenly went silent and looked down at the floor. Tomas noticed and mentally face-palmed himself. How could have been so insensitive? The silver-haired man placed a hand on Tundra's shoulder.

"I am so sorry, Kuai. I did not mean to upset you. Bi-han is going to be fine, and Cyrax too. You said yourself that they were on the way, right? Everything is going to be fine, alright?"

Kuai smiled at his friend and nodded in agreement. Tomas smiled back, relieved. The ice ninja hardly showed any emotion on his face, but Smoke could tell that his best friend was worried. He was, too. Tundra, Bi-han, and Cyrax were his family and he did not want to think about what he would do if he lost them.

"Hey, you want to have a quick sparring match to get your mind off the tournament? Or is that a bad idea because you know you will not be able to beat me? I would not want to hurt your feelings and your pride."

Smoke started laughing and Kuai punched him on the arm playfully and started laughing, too.

"Is that a challenge, Vrbada? I accept and just so you know, I am going to imagine you as that punching bag that I broke earlier."

"What exactly did that sack do to you!?"

Meanwhile outside the temple, someone had just gotten to the start of the bridge that lead to the entrance doors. He stomped his way across the wooden walkway and before anyone could see who it was since it was still dark, the man was stopped by two guards with swords pointing at him.

"Get those things out of my face immediately!"

The sentries' eyes widened when they recognized the newcomer's voice. They did as they were commanded and lowered their weapons. They then placed their fists over their chests and bowed.

"Our apologies, Sektor. We were not expec..."

"My father. Where is he!?"

"He has retired to his chamber, but we shall get him at o..."

Sektor, not caring enough to listen to his clanmate, pushed past the two sentries and headed inside the temple.

"I shall get him myself."

"There is no need, my son."

Standing down the hallway, Oniro had his hands clasped behind his back. His guards kneeled before him, but Sektor just glared at his father.

"Father."

"Welcome back, Sektor. You two may take your leave."

The sentries bowed to the Grandmaster and then made their way back to their posts. When they disappeared, the Grandmaster's son started to speak.

"Father, we have..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his father had punched him across the face. Sektor had faltered, but he managed to keep himself standing. Oniro was an incredibly powerful warrior despite his appearance and he made sure everyone knew that, including his son.

"You will address as Grandmaster in front of your comrades. I do not show favoritism to anyone, especially you. You are Lin Kuei and I am your superior."

The red-cladded ninja rubbed his jaw and looked down in embarrassment.

"Forgive me... Grandmaster."

The last part came out as more of a sneer, but the old man ignored it. He was curious as to why the young man was in such a poor mood. Not that he cared, but his son's stories did amuse him.

"Now, what did you want to discuss with me that was so urgent."

As he tried to ignore the pain in his mandible, Sektor continued what he was saying earlier.

"There has been a few...complications with the mission to eliminate Earthrealm's warriors in the tournament."

"What sort of "complications?"

"After failing to complete his mission to kill the actor Johnny Cage, Cyrax declared his resignation from the Lin Kuei and I engaged him in combat."

"And you lost."

"Unfortunately, yes."

_What a disappointment, _Oniro thought. Cyrax had been a great addition to the Lin Kuei and the Grandmaster had to admit, he had grown fond of the Botswanan. If there was one thing Oniro admired about Cyrax, it was his loyalty. Which was why the Grandmaster was confused about his underling's sudden change of heart.

"That is unfortunate. I will send search parties out immediately to search for Cyrax and bring him back here. Alive."

"I have already done that. I thought you would want to judge him yourself. We should here from my scouts soon."

"Excellent. So, what are your other concerns?"

Sektor suddenly went silent. That did not bode well with Oniro.

"Well? Speak."

The Grandmaster's son had been contemplating about how to tell his father the terrible news ever since he left Shang Tsung's island. Truthfully, it was good news for him, but this was a major blow to the Lin Kuei. To Oniro's pride. Who was going to fear the Lin Kuei now that TWO of their best warriors did not get anywhere in the tournament due to their emotions getting the better of them? Sektor had a temper, but he made sure to keep it under control while he was fighting or completing a mission. If he had not, the Grandmaster would have killed him a long time ago, not caring that they were family.

"It is about...Sub-zero."

"And? What about him? Where is he now?"

He could hear that Oniro was getting slightly irritated. The old man wanted answers and he wanted them now. There was no use in trying to beat around the bush anymore.

"Bi-han was...killed in combat. By a warrior from the Netherrealm."

"The Netherrealm? Do you know of this warrior?"

"He is a specter of Quan Chi and he has the ability to control the very fires of Hell. I believe Shang Tsung said his name was Scorpion."

"Hmm..."

"And, Grandmaster..."

"What now?"

"...Scorpion murdered Sub-zero to avenge his clan...the Shirai Ryu."

Wonderful. Not only has one of Oniro's subordinates gone rogue and his most powerful warrior is now deceased, but a specter of the Netherrealm, who also happens to be a member of the former Shirai Ryu, is out for revenge against his clan.

"Sektor, you must be ready for tomorrow evening. The Cyber Initiative will commence a bit sooner than I had planned."


	3. Chapter Two: The Cyber Initiative

**Chapter Two: The Cyber Initiative**

With a grunt, Tundra landed harshly on his back. Smoke had caught his friend off guard and swept the cryomancer off his feet. It was definitely a comical display to the gray ninja.

"Ha, ha, ha! I told you I would win, Kuai."

"Ha, ha. You may have won this time, but when we spar again, you will be the one lying on their back."

"Are you going to buy me dinner first?"

"Oh, shut UP."

Tomas continued to laugh and soon Kuai joined in. A moment later, Smoke offered his hand to help his comrade up and Tundra accepted it. As the two were making their way out of the dojo, they almost bumped into someone. The old man was the last person they expected to run into this early in the morning. The duo quickly placed their fists over their hearts in salute.

"Grandmaster," they said in unison.

The Grandmaster bowed his head in return and Smoke and Tundra lowered their hands.

"Smoke. Tundra. I see you two have started the day early. Your sparring match was quite entertaining."

Oniro had seen the fight? Just how long has the old man been watching them? Kuai was a bit surprised that he had not noticed the Grandmaster's presence, but Tomas was embarrassed because of the dinner comment. Friendship was looked down upon in the Lin Kuei, yet everyone knew the close relationship the two ninjas had with one another. Honestly, they could be mistaken for brothers. Bi-han suggested that it would not be a good idea to openly display their friendship in front of their comrades, though. It would be considered a weakness.

Which was why Smoke was surprised when the Grandmaster did not bring the comment up and instead changed the topic entirely.

"I have an important announcement I have to make in the Grand Hall later this afternoon. Everyone is required to attend this meeting, especially you two."

Tomas and Kuai shared a look of confusion, not that Oniro could see it behind their masks. What did the Grandmaster mean by "especially you two"?"

"Grandmaster, may we ask what this is about?"

"You will know when the assembly takes place."

With that, the Grandmaster took his leave. The two friends stood dumbfounded for a moment. The old man was being very...secretive lately. Not many people nowadays knew what was going through the Grandmaster's head and that worried Smoke.

"Did the Grandmaster seem off to you in any way, Kuai?"

The cryomancer shook his head.

"I am sure this announcement is for the benefit of the Lin Kuei. Maybe he is going to state the return of our brothers from the tournament."

"Yes..."

A small part of Smoke hated the way his friend would defend some of the Grandmaster's actions. His loyalty was something to admire, but silver-haired man felt that that would put Kuai in danger. If Oniro asked Tundra to jump off a cliff, the cryomancer probably would because of his belief that it will "benefit the Lin Kuei"." Tomas felt the Grandmaster was hiding something and he was going to figure out what that something is.

Speaking of hiding, Smoke's thoughts drifted to his sifu, a former Lin Kuei assassin named Hydro. He was a hydromancer who, on occasion, could blast beams of water that were cold enough to freeze someone. After Hydro disappearance about eighteen years ago, everyone assumed he was dead. Kuai, Bi-han, and Cyrax were all devasted by this, but not as much as Tomas. The hydromancer became a true father-figure to him and with Smoke not being able to remember his own parents, that means a lot to the ninja.

**Flashback**

Angrily, an eighteen-year old Tomas stomped out into the courtyard with clenched fists. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he was wearing a simple gray training uniform.

"Ten syn... příště ho budu muset praštit do hlavy!"

He slipped back and forth between Czech and Chinese, but no matter the language, you knew whatever the teen was saying was probably bad.

"Trouble in paradise?"

The boy had been so caught up in his own thoughts that he had not noticed someone was near. Turning around, he saw an older looking man, Hydro, walking up to him with his hands behind his back. He was wearing a plain white t-shirt and baggy gray pants, which was an unusual sight for Tomas. It almost took his mind off his current situation.

"Paradise? If this is paradise, I'd rather be in the Netherrealm."

The hydromancer laughed at that. He then walked over to a stone bench and took a seat.

"Do you wish to talk about it?"

"...No."

"Well, we are going to talk about it anyway."

"Then why did you ask me!?"

Hydro shrugged. Tomas threw his hands up in exasperation and sat down next to his sifu.

"Now, tell me what is bothering you."

"...Sektor."

Hydro sighed. He should have known that was the problem. Those two never seem to get along, but that was not his student's fault, of course. Sektor is, to put it plainly, a brat.

"What did he do?"

"Well, it started when I was helping one of the kids with a move they have been struggling with. You remember Jun, right?"

"Yes, I do. A good young man and always eager to learn. Unlike some people."

Tomas rolled his eyes, but Hydro managed to get a smile out of him.

"I'm kidding. So, what does your encounter with Jun have to do with the Grandmaster's son?"

"In the end, with a lot of practice, Jun finally accomplished his goal and did the move. He wanted to give me something as a thank you. The only thing he had on him was a locket that was given to him by his mother before she died. It's the only possession he has to remember her by."

"Tomas, Jun knows that he cannot keep anything like that..."

"I know. I know. We shouldn't have any possessions related to our time before the Lin Kuei. It's seen as a weakness, but that's something you can't just get rid of, you know? Besides, he had it hidden under his shirt."

"...You're right. Continue."

"I told the kid that I didn't want to take it, because his mother would want HIM to have it, not me. And, out of nowhere, Sektor takes it away from Jun and throws it against the wall, breaking it! For no absolute reason!"

"He broke it?"

"Yeah! Then, the jerk had the nerve to start laughing while Jun cried. The poor kid just ran out of there. It really pissed me off, so... I punched Sektor right in the face. It left a pretty big bruise, I'll tell you that."

"You did WHAT!? How many times have I told you to control your anger? You cannot let people like Sektor get the better of you."

Tomas nodded and put his head in his hands. He felt bad for his behavior earlier, but he did not regret the reason for it. Jun did not deserve that. A second later, the teen felt a hand on his back. He looked over and saw Hydro softly smiling down at him.

"Did he cry?"

At first, Smoke was confused, but then realized his sifu was talking Sektor. He laughed.

"No, he didn't cry, sifu. Sorry."

"Aw, that would have made the story ten times better."

Now both of them were laughing. That was Hydro for you. Never failing at putting a smile on anyone's face.

**End of Flashback**

Hydro was the one who taught him right and wrong and he was always there whenever someone needed. Whenever Tomas needed him. When his sifu vanished, Smoke made a promise to himself that he would be there for others just like the hydromancer had been. Just like he promised Sub-zero that he would look after Kuai while he was at the tournament. He would never make a promise that he could not keep.

Time had passed by quickly and now it was time for the meeting the Grandmaster had told Smoke and Tundra about. While they were making their way to the Grand Hall, they passed by a room where the duo saw three boys, one sitting on the floor and the other two in the middle of a sparring match of their own. They were no older than eight or nine, Smoke thought, and as soon as the boy sitting on the floor sighted the gray ninja, he smiled and waved. Smoke immediately recognized the kid and waved back. The two had met in the library one day while the boy was looking for a book about mythology. The child had not expected Tomas to share in interest in mythical tales and that struck up a conversation.

As intimidating as the ninja may look, Tomas is a sucker for kids. There has not been a child that Smoke could not get along with and Tundra sometimes teased him about it. It was mostly because even though Smoke had the body of a man, he definitely had the spirit of a kid. Kuai hated, yet envied, that about his best friend. He would be annoyed when Tomas did not take certain things seriously, but if it were not for his playful personality, the two probably would have never been friends. Opposites do attract each other.

By the time the two assassins reached their destination, the hall was flooded with people. Smoke and Tundra knew most of the people there, but some were complete strangers. Two men had caught sight of the gray and blue ninjas and waved them over. It was the guards who found the Grandmaster's son outside the temple. Tomas and Kuai jogged to the guards and greeted them.

"Xiao, Ling, it is good to see you. How is guard duty?"

Xiao and Ling both groaned in response, causing Smoke and Tundra to laugh.

"I rather be working in the kitchen. Cutting onions brings more action then guarding, right Ling?"

"Yes. If someone were to try and raid the temple, that would be a blessing. I did not complete my training just to not be able to use it."

"I know, but a raid seems a bit extreme, does it not?"

"I was only kidding, Kuai. You do not have to be so uptight."

Tomas shook his head as his three friends conversated. As they talked, the gray ninja suddenly had a piercing headache and he put his hand on his forehead. Where did that come from all of a sudden?

"Tomas..."

A voice whispered his name. Was it inside his head? Before he knew, the headache was gone and so was the voice. Smoke looked around trying to find whoever had spoken to him.

"Smoke?"

Smoke turned towards Tundra, who had called his name. He, Xiao, and Ling all looked at Tomas with concern in their eyes.

"It is nothing. Really. I was just thinking about something, that's all."

Maybe he should have taken that time to sleep this morning. Tomas' sleep deprivation was starting to take its toll on him.

"Greetings, my fellow Lin Kuei."

The Grandmaster's voice pulled Smoke out of his thoughts and he, along with his brethren, bowed to Oniro. The Grandmaster bowed in return.

"Now, I know many questions have risen ever since you were told to gather here at this time. The subject of this meeting concerns the Mortal Kombat tournament."

Tomas looked over at Kuai who was looking back with an "I told you so" look in his eyes. Smoke rolled his eyes back, but he was smiling as he did.

"As you know, three of our warriors were sent to participate in this competition. Sektor, Cyrax, and Sub-zero."

As the Grandmaster said those names, his son appeared beside him. If he was here, where were the others, Smoke thought. He was starting to get worried and he could tell Tundra was confused as well.

"Unfortunately, only one has returned to us, as you can see. One of our own has gone rogue, but as I speak, scouts have been sent after Cyrax to capture for judgement."

_What!? _Now Smoke was really confused. Cyrax would never betray the Lin Kuei, not without good reason. Knowing that, he hoped the Botswanan would be able to escape the scouts.

"As for Sub-zero..."

Kuai held his breath and hoped for the best, but Tomas knew better. Bi-han would never go against the clan, so something had to had happened to him for him not to be here right now. If anything, he would have shown up so he could let his brother know that he was alright.

"I am sad to say that our most powerful warrior was defeated in combat. Murdered in the tournament."

There were gasps and murmurs among the crowd. Again, Smoke looked over at Tundra. It pained him to see the tears starting to form in his friend's eyes. Kuai quickly turned away when he saw the look on Tomas' face. That only made the pain worse. Under his mask, the gray ninja clenched together angrily. _Why did you have to go and get yourself killed, Bi-han?_

But, we will not allow this stop us. The Lin Kuei is still the most feared clan of assassins in the world. And now... we have the tools to make us even better."

The Grandmaster stopped and turned his attention to the gray and blue ninjas.

"Smoke, Tundra, would you please step forward?"

Oh gods. If there was one thing the duo hated, it was being in the spotlight. Their clanmates watched as the two slowly made their way to the Grandmaster. Smoke caught a glance at Tundra and saw that the cryomancer had held back his tears and now his eyes were emotionless. Tomas knew he was just doing that so the Grandmaster would not see his grief and call it a weakness. If he had not known better, Smoke could have confused Tundra for his brother.

"Before his unfortunate resignation, Cyrax had perfected a project I had assigned him to that would strengthen us. Both mentally and physically. With this initiative, no one will dare challenge us."

Initiative? Cyrax had never told Tomas or Kuai about any initiative. Why would he keep that a secret from them?

"Originally, was going to be one of the first to be transformed, along with Sub-zero. Now, that honor falls to you three."

He gestured to his son, Smoke, and Tundra.

"You shall become the first cyber ninjas to have ever been created! You will be the stepping stones to a new era. An era where technology will reign superior!"


	4. Chapter Three: Good-bye

**Chapter Three: Good-bye**

Smoke could not get out of that hall fast enough. Tundra was right on his heels and grabbed his friend by his arm to stop him.

"Smoke, look, I know this seems a bit extreme..."

"A BIT extreme!? We are going to be turned into cyborgs! For the benefit of the Lin Kuei, my a...!"

He quickly shut up when people started to come their way. If they had heard what he was saying, the gray ninja would have probably been hanged for heresy against the Grandmaster. With a grip still on his arm, Kuai urged Tomas to come with him someplace where they could talk freely. Smoke sighed and then nodded. He followed Tundra to his room, the one he had shared with Bi-han ever since they could remember. Funny, it did not feel as cold as it would if the two brothers were together. Is this how the room was going to feel for now on?

It was a stupid thing to think about, but the silver-haired man could not help it. He was going to miss the elder cryomancer, even if the two were not as close as Tomas was with Kuai. As he looked at Tundra sitting on his bed, Smoke felt terrible because there was probably nothing he could do to ease the other's pain right now. The blue ninja needed time to grieve and Smoke was going to make sure he had all the time he needed. Well, at least until they were surgically transformed into mechanic weapons of destruction tomorrow.

"Are you okay, my friend? Do you need anything or...?"

"I... I think I just want to be left alone right now. I am not trying to push you away, it's just... I need time to think. I do not want to talk about Bi-han right now."

"... I understand. Come to me whenever you are ready to talk. I will be there."

"I know. Thank you, Tomas."

Smoke nodded and walked out of the door. He stayed outside the door for a moment and, just as he predicted, he started to hear sobbing from inside. Tundra wanted to wait when he was alone before he cried, and Tomas understood that. This was the first time in years that Kuai has cried about anything and he did not want anyone to see him in pain. Especially his best friend. After a moment of hesitation, Smoke forced himself to leave the room and headed outside.

It was starting to get dark, but not dark enough that Tomas could not see his way to the courtyard. The arcade was his favorite place to go to whenever he was troubled. He just paced back and forth and talked to himself about the meeting. No one really comes out there that much, so he was practically alone and free to say whatever. Or so he thought.

"I do not know if I can go through with this. But it is not like I can say no to the Grandmaster. Tundra may be willing, but I am not going to allow him to..."

Suddenly, another headache like earlier started to form. It was not as bad, but it still made the warrior wince in pain. Tomas held a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. This was really starting to annoy him.

"What the hell is this!?"

"Oh. Sorry about that."

Smoke gasped in surprised, but he immediately got into his fighting stance. He slowly turned in a circle to find whoever the voice belonged to.

"Who are you. Show yourself!"

"Please, there is no need for violence, Tomas. I mean you no harm."

"I doubt that. You confessed that you were the one causing my headaches."

"True, but not on purpose. Once our bond gets stronger, I can speak to you telepathically without causing you any suffering."

"Bond? What are talking about? Who ARE you!?"

After he asked that, there was a moment of complete silence. Smoke started to think that maybe the voice really had been his imagination, but then he heard rustling in some bushes nearby. He took a step toward them and braced himself for any oncoming attack. Instead of a strike, however, Tomas was surprised to see a pair of black-gloved hands with the palms outward coming out of the undergrowth. They seemed to be a gesture of surrender.

"I am unarmed. I only wish to speak to you for a moment."

Smoke kept his stance up as the outsider finally withdrew from the bushes. They were wearing a black trench coat with a hood that covered their face.

"May I put my hands down, please?"

After a minute, the gray ninja nodded and slowly, the stranger lowered his hands.

"How do you know my name?"

"I know many things, young warrior. Just like I know that you are in danger."

"I am in danger every day. I am an assassin, after all."

"No, Tomas. I am talking about the initiative. If you go through with it, you will become one of Oniro's mechanical slaves."

"A slave? I do not understand."

"If you want answers, then I suggest that you go to the armory. I have a feeling that most of your questions will be answered there."

"Why should I believe you? I do not even know your name."

The hooded man sighed. Tomas was right. How was he supposed to gain the ninja's trust if he did not identify himself?

"You may call me... Pyros."

"Pyros... well, that's an unusual na..."

Tomas looked away for one second and now, the stranger was gone. Even so, the ninja felt that he would meet this "Pyros" again soon. Now, about what Pyros said about the armory... it could be worth looking into. _On one hand, this could be some sort of trap. On the other hand, maybe he really was telling the truth. _For some reason, Smoke felt that it was the latter. So, after careful thinking, Tomas decided to take the man's advice and go get his answers. Besides, things could not possibly get any worse, right?

The arsenal was dark and empty when Smoke arrived. Nothing out of the ordinary as far he could tell. He took a few steps inside and stopped to admire the array of weapons stored there. Tomas had been in the armory many times, but he never really looked at anything in here, except thing he needed. Now, with the one person who ran the place gone, the armory looked so... new. Foreign, even.

There were definitely no clues about any danger in here. Smoke sighed, irritated. He knew he should not have listened to that guy. He was probably just an illusion created by the ninja's own tiring mind. He was just going to go back to check on Kuai and forget about the encounter with Pyros.

Just as he was about to walk out, Tomas heard voices down the hall that were quickly getting louder and closer. They sounded angry and Smoke's instinct were telling him to hide. He turned himself invisible and hid behind a crate that was placed close to the entrance so he could get away fast and quietly. Soon after, the owners of the voices came in, two Lin Kuei assassins that were holding someone with a bag over his head by his arms. Blood trailled behind them as they stepped into the armory.

"You are a disgrace. Why did you even try to come back here?"

"You've signed your death warrant, traitor. Just wait when the Grandmaster hears about this."

Traitor? Smoke looked over the crate and saw the two ninjas harshly set their captive on the floor. His hands were bound behind his back.

"Do not even think about escape. You will not get far, I swear."

With that, the Lin Kuei ninjas left the room to go see the Grandmaster. Tomas made sure they were gone before walking towards the prisoner. He turned off his invisibility as he did so. When he was close enough, Smoke saw the source of the blood trail. The captive leg was severely wounded and bleeding tremendously.

"Hello?"

The injured man slightly lifted his head up to show that he had heard Tomas.

"Smoke? Is that you?"

Smoke immediately recognized the voice and took the hood off. The sight that was revealed almost made Tomas want to find those captors and beat them to a pulp. It was Cyrax, but his face was badly cut and bruised. He had a black-eye and a huge gash on his head that was still bleeding. The Botswanan tried to smile, but it hurt just to do that simple action.

"By the gods, Cyrax, what happened?"

"Nice to see you too. Do I get a hug?"

"No, but you can give me an explanation. What HAPPENED? And do not try to change the subject with humor, that is MY job."

Cyrax gave a dry laugh in response.

"I am sorry..."

"I do not want an apology...!"

"Well, you are getting one, alright!? I was not thinking when I defected and left. I knew I could not leave you and Kuai here to be transformed."

"The initiative. Why did you not tell us about that? We could have helped you figure something out."

"It was not like that. I did not know the Grandmaster's true intentions when he asked me to make the armor."

"Armor?"

"Yes. This initiative was not meant to surgically transform us into cyborgs. They were supposed to be just suits of armor for when we are in battle. Without my knowledge, Oniro had made a deal with the Black Dragon clan to use my armor to create cyber ninjas. He even gave the command to install a slaving protocol within the suits."

_If you go through with it, you will become one of Oniro's mechanical slaves. _That was what Pyros was trying to warn Smoke about. He was right. Oniro had betrayed the whole Lin Kuei.

"Tomas, listen to me carefully. You need to get Kuai Liang and the two of you need to get out of temple. Tonight."

"Wait, you want us to seriously try to escape the Lin Kuei? No one leaves the Lin Kuei, Cyrax. Look what happened to you!"

"I do not have powers like you and Tundra. With your combined strength, you two can get out. I know you can."

"And what about you? I am not going to leave you here to die. I can carry you and..."

"No, Tomas. I will only slow you down. Besides, death would be a mercy, but I feel the Grandmaster is going to have me transformed as well. With the slaving protocol, I should not be a problem for him."

"Cyrax..."

Smoke looked down at the floor, sadden at the fact that he really could not bring the Botswanan with him. If he did, all three of them were more likely to get caught. Cyrax placed a hand on Tomas' shoulder.

"It is alright, my friend. I had a good life with you, Kuai, and Bi-han. You three became the family that I always wanted and as long as you and Tundra are safe, I can die peacefully. Oniro may gain control of my mind and my body, but I refuse to let him take my family away as well. I have lost Sub-zero, so please do not let me lose you, too. I do not think my soul can take anymore grief."

So many emotions were running through Smoke's mind. Anger, sadness, grief... it was too much. Reluctantly, Tomas nodded and grabbed Cyrax's hand. They clasped their hands together tightly as a sign of friendship.

"I will come back for you, I promise. Even if you are turned, me and Kuai will find some way to bring you back. Just... hang on, okay?"

"I will. And..."

Cyrax was interrupted by voices coming from the hall. It sounded like the two captors from earlier were returning. Again, Smoke willed himself invisible, but stayed by his friend.

"You have to go now, Tomas. Once you have Kuai, go to my room. I left some supplies up there that should last you until you get to town. A good amount of food, water, and some weapons."

"Alright. Thank you, Cyrax. Make sure you remember my promise."

Cyrax nodded and motioned for Smoke to go. The gray ninja quickly got up and ran out the entrance. He needed to find Kuai and he was going to get the cryomancer out of this place, whether he liked it or not.


	5. Chapter Four: Escape

**Chapter Four: Escape**

Smoke was running as fast as he could to Kuai's room. He sprinted down hallways and soon found himself back in the courtyard, where his "imaginary" friend was waiting for him. The gray ninja stopped just a few feet away, panting.

"You were right."

"I know, and I hate that I was."

"How did you know?"

"I told you, I know many things. The real question now is have I earned your trust?"

Tomas thought about that. Sure, the guy had told him one thing that had been true, but maybe it was all part of some diabolical plan of his own. But then again, what did Pyros have against him? What did Smoke have against Pyros? They have never met, or at least Tomas felt they never met. Pyros could be someone from his forgotten past. Someone he trusted.

Or maybe he was just psychic. Who knows? Either way, if it were not for Pyros' advice to go to the armory, Tomas would have never found Cyrax and learn the truth behind the Cyber Initiative. That was good enough for him. For now.

"Yes. I trust you, but if you betray that trust, I will not hesitate to kill you. Is that understood?"

"Perfectly. Now, you must hurry to your cryomancer friend. It will not take long before he is taken as well."

"Taken? What do you mean by that?"

"Cyrax is not the only person who is supposed to be transformed into a cyborg tonight. The Grandmaster has sent some of your brethren to take Kuai and you to the lab."

"But the Grandmaster said that our transformations would start tomo...oh, gods."

Realization hit Smoke like a freight train. Even Oniro had to know that most of his warriors had doubts about the initiative and would most likely resist. The old man was going to do whatever was necessary to make sure everyone was transformed. Everyone. And what better way than to force his strongest fighters to do the surgery and show how much they "improved" by going through the procedure? False advertisement, really.

Without another word, Smoke dashed out of the courtyard, leaving Pyros behind. He just stood there and watched the ninja go.

"May the Elder Gods watch over you... Enenra."

Still in his room, Kuai was laying on his mat looking up at the ceiling. He felt weak after his episode earlier and did not want anything to do with anyone. He just wanted to be left alone. Soon enough, though, the cryomancer heard someone knocking on his door. Kuai grunted and ignored the banging. The visitor knocked again and Tundra continued to disregard them. After a minute, the knocking stopped.

"Kuai Liang, open the damn door now!"

Kuai quickly jumped up in surprise. That was definitely Tomas' voice and he did not sound happy. In fact, his friend sounded a bit... frantic? Tundra got up from his bed and opened the door. Smoke pushed the blue ninja back inside and looked out in the hall to see if he had been followed. No one was in sight, so Tomas closed the door.

"Smoke, what is wrong with you? You cannot just barge into..."

"Kuai, I really do not have to explain, but I need you to come with me. We are getting out of the temple. Now."

"Wait, get out? You mean leave the Lin Kuei? Are you insane!?"

"Look, terrible things will happen to us if we stay here. We have leave before..."

Smoke was interrupted by knocking on the door. He inwardly cursed at himself. _Dammit! I thought I had more time. _While Tomas was busy panicking, Kuai sighed and went to the door.

"When exactly did I become so popular?"

Before Smoke could protest, Tundra had already opened the door. Standing outside was Xiao and Ling.

"Oh. I must admit I am a bit surprised to see you two at this hour."

"Yes, we apologize if we interrupted anything, Tundra. Smoke. The Grandmaster sent us to escort you two to his throne room. There is an urgent matter he would like to discuss with you."

"It must be urgent if he wishes to see us this late. May I ask what it is the Grandmaster wants to speak to us about?"

"A mission involving another tournament in Outworld. After Sub-zero's death, the Grandmaster thought it would be fitting that you would compete in this Mortal Kombat in your brother's honor. He would also like Smoke to participate as well."

Kuai's eyes widen. It was an honor to be fighting in the tournament for the Lin Kuei and he knew Bi-han would have been proud. While Kuai was excited about this mission, Tomas knew that it was all a lie. Something was not right here. As Tundra continued to talk to the sentries, Smoke noticed how Ling was slowly reaching for something on his belt. Kuai was too eager about the tournament and was not paying attention.

"Kuai, vrať se!"

Everyone looked at Smoke in confusion, but Tundra understood what his friend had said. For some reason, Kuai did as he was told and jumped back towards Smoke as the gray ninja formed a smoke cloud and threw it in Xiao and Ling's direction. The two were blinded by the attack and could not stop Tomas from throwing them to the ground. He placed his foot on Ling's chest and grabbed what the sentry was reaching for.

"A syringe..."

Smoke angrily threw the needle aside and grabbed Ling by the collar of his shirt.

"You were going to betray us like that!? Drag our unconscious bodies to a madman that will transform us into robots!?"

"I am sorry, Smoke, but we had no choice! The Grandmaster feared that you may refuse to do the procedure and defect from the clan. He even thought that you would convince Tundra to go with you."

Realizing what was going on, Kuai looked over at Xiao and saw that he also had a syringe. He was going to try to get Smoke. The sentry did not get the chance, however, and yelped in pained as the cryomancer grabbed his wrist and twisted it. He then struck the sentry in the back of his neck to knock him out. Xiao's cry drew Ling's attention to him, and Tomas used that as a distraction as he knocked Ling out as well. The guards may have betrayed the gray and blue ninjas, but they were friends. Smoke and Tundra did not have the heart to kill them.

"We need to hide them. Kuai, grab Xiao and throw him in your closet."

Kuai nodded and dragged Xiao by his arms into the closet. Tomas did the same for Ling.

"We will be long gone before anyone discovers Xiao and Ling in there. First, we have to..."

He stopped when he saw that Tundra was clearly not listening. The cryomancer's eyes were glued to his closet and he was clenching his fists. Tomas placed a firm hand on Kuai's shoulder and snapped his friend out of his thoughts.

"Are you with me, Tundra?"

"...Yes. Yes, I am with you, Smoke."

Smoke was not entirely convinced that Tundra was in the right state of mind, but he would have to deal with that later. Right now, they needed to go to Cyrax's room.

"Come on. We are getting out of here, alright?"

Kuai just nodded and followed Tomas in silence. They quickly reached the Botswanan's room and went inside. There, the two found a few bags laying on the floor, each filled with food and water. The ninjas each grabbed one. On Cyrax's bed, there was a box filled with weapons like kunai knives and stars.

"Let us grab what we need, quickly."

"How did you know that this stuff was here?"

"Cyrax told me."

Tundra stood back with an incredulous look on his face.

"Wait, when? Before he left to the tournament?"

"Well... no. After I left you, I went for a walk and went by the armory. The scouts had found Cyrax and left him in the arsenal while they went to report to the Grandmaster. He was badly injured, but he managed to tell me about what happened at the tournament and what he knew about the Cyber Initiative. It was never his idea, Kuai."

"Did... Did he say anything about Bi-han's murderer?"

Smoke stopped packing and looked at Tundra. He then shook his head in response to the question.

"I am guessing Oniro did not tell you anything about that when you spoke to him after the meeting in the hall?"

"No. He would not tell me any details concerning who it was that defeated my brother."

Tomas sighed. There were a lot of secrets the Grandmaster was keeping. Hopefully, those secrets would not get them killed.

"You said Cyrax was badly injured. Is that why he is not here?"

"Yes. I wanted to bring him, but with a broken leg..."

"I understand. You do not have say more. I do hope that he will be alright."

"As do I."

The two grabbed their things and got ready to leave. The moment felt unreal, like none of this was really happening. They were going to leave behind their childhood home. For good.

"You ready?"

Tundra nodded, his eyes filled with determination.

"Yes. What about you?"

"... No... but we do not really have a choice now do we?"

Fortunately, the gray and blue ninjas were able to sneak their way through the temple and out to the bridge. They briskly made their way down the wooden pathway and into the woods, where they disappeared as stealthful as the night.

Back at the temple, Cyrax had been taken to some sort of underground lab. He was surrounded by bare white walls, shelves full of beakers with unidentifiable liquids inside, and computer monitors that displayed various blueprints and texts he did not have a chance to decipher. This would have been a dream come true for the Botswanan, but now that he knew what horrors were going to occur in here, it was nightmare.

"Well, well, mate. You just made my night."

Just hearing that Australian accent made Cyrax groan. The sound of heavy boots resonated throughout the lab and stopped as their owner approached the yellow-clad warrior.

"Aren't you supposed to be on the run from those two Special Forces officers, Kano?"

The leader of the Black Dragon clan simply laughed at the remark.

"Talk it up, mate. Enjoy your final moments of freedom."

"You are not going to be part of this procedure, are you?"

"Of course not! If I were, I wouldn't even knock you out. I would want you to feel all the pain and I would slice n' dice you with a smile on my face, mate."

"Is that supposed to scare me? Sorry, it must be the accent."

"You're one to talk, Jamaican."

"It is Botsw...ugh!"

Cyrax suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck as something was injected into him with a syringe. It was more than likely some kind of sedative and a powerful one at that. The drug was quickly taking affect and made the Botswanan a bit woozy. Kano noticed and came up to Cyrax to grab him by his collar.

"What's wrong, mate? You're not looking so good."

Cyrax was having trouble focusing on the Australian's face. His vision was starting to go black and he would have fallen to his knees if it were not for the two Lin Kuei that were holding him up. After a minute or so, the Botswanan closed his eyes and fell unconscious. The leader of the Black Dragon laughed at the display and let go of Cyrax's shirt. He turned around and walked towards one of the monitors.

"The old man paid us good money to make these suits. Let's show him he's getting the best shit for his bucks."

**Well, that's chapter four! I hope you guys are enjoying this fanfic as much as I enjoy writing it.**


	6. Chapter Five: The Man in Black

**Chapter Five: The Man in Black**

It was early in the morning and Smoke and Tundra continued down the mountain without getting much, if any, sleep last night. It was best for them to get as much distance from the temple as possible before anyone realized they were gone. Tomas used his power to teleport once or twice, but he could not go far distances, especially with Kuai. That took up too much of his energy and if the Lin Kuei did show up, they will need all their strength. The two former Lin Kuei also changed into civilian clothes along the way, in case they bumped into anyone.

Fortunately, they were making good progress down the mountain path. At least more than regular humans would if they were making this journey. It was going to take Smoke and Tundra a day or two to get to the bottom if they kept going at this pace.

"Where will we go?"

Tomas turned towards his friend.

"Honestly, I have no idea. I guess anywhere is better than the temple, right?"

"Yes, but we cannot just wander aimlessly. We need a plan."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

The cryomancer stopped and put a hand under his chin in thought. Smoke took a seat on a rock to rest for a moment while Tundra was thinking. As he sat down, a wave of exhaustion washed over Tomas. He had not slept well in days and he had not eaten anything since breakfast yesterday. To make matters worse, the gray ninja could not stop thinking about that stranger from the courtyard. Pyros.

Was he a friend or a foe? Did the man really want to help him or was he just doing this for some sick thrill? A trap, maybe? Smoke just could not get a reading on the guy. He told Pyros that he trusted him, and Tomas does, but someone wearing a hood covering their face and appearing out of nowhere is definitely suspicious. Along with that amazing smell of something cooking...

Cooking? Smoke sniffed the air and sure enough, the smell was there. Even Kuai stopped what he was doing when the aroma hit him.

"Someone is up here."

"Yes... and no one ever comes up here."

Curious, the two ninjas started walking again, focused on finding the person responsible for making the smell. They did not have to walk far for as they turned a corner, the duo were greeted with the sight of someone cooking over a fire. The person hummed as they used a spoon to scoop up some rice porridge from the pot they had settled over the flames and poured the it into a bowl. While Kuai looked on in confusion, Tomas immediately recognized the black gloves and trench coat. He opened his mouth to address the stranger.

But no sound would come out. Smoke literally could not say a word. He placed a hand on his throat and looked at his "friend" with wide eyes.

"Greetings, strangers! Please, join me for some breakfast and rest. You both look absolutely drained."

As Pyros spoke, Tomas felt a sharp pain in his head. This communication was going to take some time to get used to, but at least the pain was not as bad.

"Listen to me, my boy. I would suggest keeping our meeting to ourselves. I do not think you would want to put Tundra in anymore danger than the two of you are in now."

Smoke was about to ask Pyros what he meant, but the pain was gone and that meant the telepath was out of his head for the moment. Fortunately, he had his voice back. Although, it was uncomfortable how Pyros could easily do that to the gray ninja. What secrets was this guy hiding?

"No, thank you, sir. We are actually in a hur... huh?"

Tomas walked over to Pyros and sat next to him. Kuai looked at him as if asking "What are you doing," but the gray ninja just shrugged and motioned for him to come, too. As the cryomancer knew, his comrade did not just trust anyone, so if Smoke was saying it was okay, then it was okay. Slowly, Tundra walked over to his friend and the hooded individual and sat down on the opposite side of the campfire.

"Good, good. Would you two care for some porridge? It is not much, but you may eat as much as you like!"

Why was Pyros sounding so enthusiastic? Anyway, the telepath held out the bowl he filled earlier to Smoke, who took it with a simple "thank you." The same was done for Tundra, but he just nodded in appreciation. Once they were settled, Pyros made a bowl for himself.

"Ah, what a beautiful morning, isn't it? This spot provides amazing view and Zhu Zin looks so tiny from up here. Are you two heading down there?"

"Yes, we are. As I was saying before we are in a bit of a HURRY."

Tundra emphasized the last word while looking at Smoke.

"I see. Well, would you like a ride? I have my... oof!"

That is when the two ninjas noticed Pyros "company." Two oxen, one black and the other brown, were nudging the telepath with their noses. One of them even tried to get a hold on Pyros' bowl of porridge.

"Alright, alright, you impatient behemoths! I will feed you in a moment."

Smoke could not help but smile at the man and his beasts. Even Tundra smirked. The now aggravated Pyros got up and headed over to his wagon, which was full of hay. Either the oxen did not see it, or they just wanted to annoy their master. It would be funny if it was the latter.

"Once these two get fed, I would be happy to give you a ride to town. It really is no trouble."

"That is very kind of you, but we do not even know your nam..."

"We would appreciate that very much, sir."

Now Tundra was getting aggravated. First, they ate the stranger's food and now Smoke was okay with the idea of riding with him. For all they knew, this guy was a spy.

"My friend, may I talk with you privately?"

"About what?"

"You know what."

Kuai then got up from his seat and walked a good distance from Pyros' makeshift campsite. Sighing, Tomas placed his bowl of porridge on the ground and followed the cryomancer. The way Kuai had a stoic expression on his face and his arms crossed reminded Tomas so much of Bi-han.

"Alright, what is going on?"

Tundra even had that tone in his voice that meant business.

"What do you mean, Tundra?"

"You are insisting that we let a complete stranger transport us. We have no idea of that man's true intentions. And doesn't the hood concealing his face seem suspicious?"

Did it ever, but Smoke did not say that out loud.

"Look. We need to get some rest and if he is willing to give us a free ride down the mountain, then we should take it. Besides, if he does try anything funny, we are more than capable of defending ourselves, right?"

"I know, but..."

"Do not worry, alright? Nothing is going to happen."

"How exactly do you know that?"

"I just... I just do."

Unbeknownst to the ninjas, Pyros was listening to their conversation while pretending to be caring for the oxen. He hoped the cryomancer would buy any lie Tomas provided. For both of their sakes. The telepath watched as the gray ninja spoke to Kuai, who was shaking his head and had a deep frown on his face. It seemed like forever, but finally, Tundra uncrossed his arms and nodded in agreement. Pyros could sense there was still some doubt in the blue ninja, but he put it aside for Smoke. Good.

"If you two are ready, we can go now!"

The telepath yelled to get Tomas and Kuai's attention. The duo jogged back to Pyros and his cattle.

"Our apologies for keeping you waiting. We are ready."

"No need for apologies. Let us go."

The three men finished their breakfast and put out the fire. Pyros then sat at the front of the wagon to steer while Smoke sat beside him, and Tundra sat in the back. He used some of the leftover hay from the oxen's feast as a pillow as he laid down. Smoke looked back to face his comrade.

"You can go to sleep if you need to. I know you are tired."

"I am not a child. I will sleep when I want to."

Tomas laughed at that. Even though he was not sure of his age, the gray ninja felt like an older brother to Kuai and sometimes that brotherly instinct would get the better of him. Before he knew it, Tundra eyes started to feel heavy and he felt oddly relaxed. Safe, even. As Smoke looked back again, he arched an eyebrow when he saw the cryomancer fast asleep. He tapped Kuai on his knee a couple of times, but his friend would not wake up.

"Leave Kuai be. He is alright."

Smoke quickly turned to Pyros when he said Tundra's name. It seems that the telepath was finally going to "talk" to Tomas about their current situation.

"So... Pyros?"

"Yes?"

"Are you going to explain things to me now or are you just going to disappear again?"

"No, not this time. In fact..."

Pyros suddenly reached for his hood and slowly pulled it off.

"...I think it is only fair that we talk face to face."

The face that was revealed was of a middle-aged man with a goatee. He had short black hair with a bit of gray here and there and his eyes were dark brown.

"Now that that's out of the way, may I ask what you and your friend intend to do now?"

"...I thought you would already know that since you "know many things," Pyros."

"That does not mean I know EVERYTHING. I am no god."

"Then what are you? You can read minds and you can take away someone's voice, which by the way was uncalled for."

"You are right, and I do apologize for that."

"Forget it, just... are you some sort of sorcerer or something?"

"...It is a bit more... complicated than that."

"Then please, simplify it for me, because Kuai was right. We are riding with a complete stranger. A stranger who asked me to trust him but is keeping secrets from me. All I know about you is your name!"

Pyros sighed and turned around to look at Kuai, who was still asleep. The man smiled.

"All you need to know is that I wish to protect you boys, especially you."

"Why? What makes us so special?"

Now the middle-aged man turned to Tomas and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No, my boy. Kuai is an exceptional young man and will grow even stronger than his brother. You, however... You are special."

"...What?"

"You have so much hidden potential within you. So much power, yet deep down, you are afraid of it. Afraid of yourself and what you could become."

Smoke's eyes widen. This man, this stranger that appeared out of nowhere, seemed to know more about Tomas than he knew himself. It was unsettling, but the gray ninja was also curious as to what the telepath knew.

"This power you speak of... are you sure you are talking about me? You make it sound as though I am a threat."

"Well, in a manner of speaking, you are. Or at least you will be once people know of your existence."

"What people? The Lin Kuei did not care much about me and they have seen my power."

"Not your true power, yet Oniro knows about it. He knows you are much stronger than you seem, and he wanted to use your power for his own desires. The Grandmaster had no intention of finding your missing memories. He wanted to make it so your only family was the Lin Kuei and you would have no place to go. No place to run. No one to trust but the Lin Kuei. It is sick how he attempted to brainwash you."

Deep down, Smoke knew he should feel surprised and betrayed, but he somehow knew that what Pyros had said was true. At least about the Grandmaster and the clan. The gray ninja really had no place to go and no connections to anyone outside of the Lin Kuei as far as he knew.

"But if I may offer a suggestion..."

"Your "suggestions" might as well be "orders" the way you insist that I follow through with them."

"And have my "orders" been wrong so far?"

"...No."

"Exactly!"

The two men heard Kuai groan and gazed at him. The cryomancer had shifted due to Pyros' shouting, but he was still unconscious thankfully.

"Oops. Sorry, my boy. I got a bit excited."

The telepath laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. He quickly regained his composure, however, and looked back at Smoke.

"As I was saying, I suggest that you and Tundra go to Outworld. You may find answers about your past... as well as Bi-han's murderer."

That caught Tomas' attention.

"A Mortal Kombat tournament is currently being held in Outworld. Earthrealm warriors, including the champion Liu Kang, will be participating. Shang Tsung will be hosting the tournament once more and it was he, along with a another sorcerer from the Netherrealm, who staged Sub-zero's demise."

The gray ninja clenched his fists in rage. These sorcerers had set up his friend and brother and allowed him to die. If Tundra was awake to hear this...

"How do we get to Outworld?"

"Ah, determined I see. That is good, but I cannot allow you to leave yet. Not until you have proper rest."

"I am fine."

"No, you are not. I know you have not told anyone about your nightmares. Have you?"

Uh-oh. Pyros knew about the nightmares. But, so what? They were only bad dreams, right?

"Everyone has nightmares. There is no need to be concerned about mine."

"There is when you cannot even sleep for an hour before they appear. I do not know what happens in your dreams, but I know it is not good when it keeps YOU up at night. You cannot keep doing this."

Frustrated, Smoke put his head in his hands and sighed.

"Please, stop worrying about me. I can take care of this mys..."

"Why are all you Lin Kuei so stubborn!?"

Before he could retort, Tomas' vision started getting blurry and his eyelids felt like lead. He placed a hand on his head to steady himself.

"What... What did you do?"

"I have not done anything. Tomas, what is wrong?"

"I...I..."

"Woah, slow down. Calm yourself. Everything will be alright."

Smoke could not even comprehend what the telepath was saying to him. He felt noxious and wanted to throw up, but he knew nothing would come out. What was wrong with him? Losing what little strength he had, Tomas slowly fell forward, but luckily, Pyros caught him before he fell.

"Tomas! Tomas, speak to me!"

Pyros was shaking the gray ninja, but Tomas was out cold. The middle-aged man was beginning to panic. Smoke never got sick. Ever. Just as he was about to stop the wagon to check on the warrior, Pyros felt it. A strong power was rising from the man he held in his arms, but he knew it was not Smoke's doing. It was something else. Something evil.

Something... demonic.


	7. Chapter Six: Zhu Zin

**Chapter Six: Zhu Zin**

The young boy struggled to keep up as his captors carelessly dragged him through the woods. He was confused, sad, angry... so many emotions rushed through the child at once. He had been beaten and kidnapped, but for what purpose? And where were his parents? Were they dead like the rest?

The poor boy had so many questions and he doubted that his kidnappers would answer any of them. At least they started to slow down, and the boy soon saw why. They were approaching a cave with light shining from within it. As they entered the cave, the source of the light was shown to be a raging fire burning upon a stone table. Six more men, each dressed in a red cloak just like his captors, were waiting by the fire.

"They deserved it."

The child thought that one of the cloaked men had spoken to him, but they were not paying him any attention as they started chanting in a language he did not understand.

"They all deserved to die. Not you."

All of a sudden, the boy started to sob uncontrollably. The fear of death had finally hit him. The voice was right. He did not deserve to die.

"Nechci umřít!"

The child screamed the same sentence over and over again in his native tongue: "I don't want to die!" The kidnappers became angry with the boy's antics and eventually hit him on the back of his head to shut him up. As he laid there on the ground about to fall unconscious from the impact, the boy saw something in the flames. It looked like a pair of eyes. Red eyes that were fixed on him.

"Do not worry, little one. I will not allow you to perish. But do well to remember this: Where there is smoke, there is fire."

"Tomas!"

With a strong jerk, Smoke was pulled out of his dream and brought back to reality. He was in a cold sweat and he was breathing heavily as he looked at his surroundings. The only other living being with him was Tundra and his eyes showed deep concern for his friend.

"What happened... where..."

"Hold on, are you okay? You started shouting in your sleep and tried to fight me when I was attempting to wake you up."

His breathing back to normal, Tomas looked over at Kuai and immediately saw the burn mark on the cryomancer's arm. It was in the shape of a hand.

"Oh, gods, did I..."

"It is alright. It hurts like hell, but I will live."

Now Smoke felt really terrible. He could have seriously injured or even killed his comrade. All because of a stupid dream. Speaking of which... what was that dream about? Tomas could not remember a thing about it. In fact, he could not remember anything after...

"Kuai, where is the hooded guy?"

"He just... disappeared. When we got to this inn, he asked a woman who works here to provide us with a room. Said she was an old friend of his. Once we went inside and got you settled, he vanished without a word. I did not even see any trace of his wagon."

That was Pyros. The telepath did show his face to Smoke, so now he was not a "complete" stranger. The gray ninja could now pin the name with a face and that was an accomplishment.

"You said we are in an inn. You mean in... Zhu Zin?"

"Yes."

"For how long?"

"About two hours."

"So... wait a minute, we were nowhere near the bottom of the mountain! It would have taken us another day or two to get down, especially in that wagon! How long was I asleep!?"

"About two hours from what that hooded man told me. Not long after I fell asleep, he said you went to sleep, too. From the point of the mountain where we met that guy to here, you were unconscious. I know, it is incredible that we were able to get to Zhu Zin so fast, but I am not complaining. I suppose you were right to trust that man."

"Yes..."

No matter how he did it, Smoke thanked the Elder Gods for sending Pyros in their time of need. Now they could focus on their next destination.

"I know you probably do not want to talk about this right now, my friend, but... what exactly did the Grandmaster tell you about Bi-han's death?"

"I told you, he did not tell me anything. All I know is that it was a combatant who fought for the Netherrealm."

"I see. Well, maybe we should find out for ourselves."

"...How?"

The seriousness in his tone caused Tomas to glance at Kuai. The gray ninja was a little worried about telling his friend about the sorcerers, but he had a right to know.

"We should go to Outworld. The sorcerer Shang Tsung will be there, and I believe had something to do with your brother's death. He has answers, I know it."

"How do we get there? We cannot just make portals, you know."

"Yes, I know. We will figure something out. I wish Cyrax would have..."

A thought suddenly popped into his head when he mentioned the Botswanan.

"Kuai, look in the bags. If you see anything unusually, let me know."

"Why? What are we looking for?"

"I am not sure, but..."

Smoke started digging in one of the bags while Tundra dug in the other. They found some food and water, some clothes and...

"Aha!"

Kuai turned around and saw Tomas holding something up in his hand. It was small and round like a ball and it was silver in color. It could have easily been mistaken for one of Cyrax's bombs.

"What is that?"

"Remember when Cyrax told us about a project he was working on that would make it easier for us to travel from different realms? I think this is the finished product, a device that can make portals. I do not know if it will work or not, but there is not harm in trying it."

"Except it could blow up."

"Yes."

"Or it could be a tracker that someone had planted on us."

"Yes."

"Or it could..."

"Okay, I get it! It could be dangerous, but it could also be our ticket out of here. We will not know until we have tried it and we do not have many other options."

"Ugh..."

It was true. Besides, if they managed to get to Outworld, it would be harder for the Lin Kuei to find them since as far as their former allies knew, Smoke and Tundra had no way of traveling to other realms. It would definitely buy them some time.

"Do you even know how it works?"

"I have no clue. It should not be too hard to figure out though."

Tomas rotated the sphere in his hands to see if the device had a button or switch he could use to turn it on. He barely noticed a small, black button on the bottom of the gadget. Before Smoke could press the button, he and Tundra heard a scream from outside. The duo rushed to the window to locate whoever screamed, as well as what they were screaming at.

Buildings, mostly black and brown and smaller in size, surrounded the inn and dirt roads made up the streets. People were running past the inn in terror, some carrying children who were crying in their arms. Tomas caught sight a young woman with black who was struggling to get through the mob. Someone pushed her and she stumbled onto the ground with a yelp. A shadow loomed over the woman as she tried to get up. Smoke quickly jumped out the window to the lady's aid.

"Smoke, what are you doing!?"

The gray ninja did not hear Tundra and continued his way to the girl. He swiftly scooped the black-haired woman into his arms and got out of the way of whatever was approaching them. A huge impact on the ground soon followed and caused Smoke to stumble, but he was able to right his footing. The girl clung onto the warrior's neck and hid her face in his shoulder in fear. Tomas looked down at her in concern.

"Are you alright? Nothing broken?"

She slowly peeked from her hiding place and looked up at her savior. The woman was in shock and unable to speak, so she just gave Tomas a simple nod.

"Target located. Objective: Return rogues Smoke and Sub-zero back to the Lin Kuei to be transformed. Damage: Minimal."

Smoke shifted his head to the robotic voice as he heard his codename being said. The woman followed his gaze and was terrified of what she saw. A humanoid figure had his fist planted in the ground, creating cracks within the earth. Its body was made of metal and a dull gray in color. Faint blue lights illuminated from the spots where their eyes were supposed to be, and black cords sprouted from their head like hair. As this robotic entity rose to his feet, it turned its head over to its target: Smoke.

The gray ninja put the girl down and told her to run from here. After giving him a quiet "Thank you," she did as she was told and sprinted in the direction her people had gone. Tomas kept his eyes on the intruder to make sure he did not go after the woman, but the robot's eyes were trained only on him. Its soulless gaze slightly intimidated Tomas, but he would not let the cyborg know that. He scowled at the robot and clenched his fists, ready for any attack it threw at him.

"You should have just stayed at the temple, Smoke."

Two more cyborgs appeared along with an old man with long, white hair tied back into a ponytail. It was the Grandmaster. Tomas' eyes darkened once he caught sight of his former superior.

"I apologize if I do not take kindly to the idea of being turned into a robotic servant."

"I would not have put you or Tundra under the slaving protocol. You both would have retained your free will."

"No one deserves to have their free will taken from them! That is not your decision to make!"

"Oh, Smoke. Your emotions have always blinded you and you could never see the big picture. With this transformation,"

The Grandmaster motioned to the gray cyborgs.

"And your powers, you will be unstoppable."

"I do not need any mechanical enhancements to become stronger. The same goes for Tundra."

"Ah, speaking of him, where is he?"

"Scanning..."

One of the cyborgs had switched his perception to heat vision and was looking around the area for any signs of Tundra. Due to Kuai being a cryomancer, his body temperature was a bit lower than an average human's, just as Smoke's was relatively higher. It made Tundra harder to spot in heat vision, but the robot managed to detect a small signature in the inn.

"Signature detected within..."

A kunai knife made of ice flew towards the cyborg at an alarming speed. Unfortunately, it managed to catch the projectile mere inches from its face. Throwing the knife aside, the robot watched as Tundra walked outside while two more knives were forming in his hands. He made his way over to Smoke, who pulled out two knives of his own and the duo got into their fighting stances. Oniro laughed.

"Do you two really think you can defeat these cyborgs? Have you lost your sanity?"

"Apparently so. We will not come quietly, no matter how strong you say your cyborgs are."

Truth be told, the gray ninja had no intention of seriously fighting the robots. They were his former comrades and, more than likely, wanted no part in the initiative in the first place.

"Tundra, did you grab the sphere?"

"Yes, I did."

"Good. When I say so, turn it on. We are going to make a quick getaway before anyone else shows up."

"I understand."

For a moment, there was complete silence. The gray and blue ninjas stared down the Grandmaster and his minions. Oniro had a confident smirk on his face as he looked to the cyborgs.

"Remember, I need them alive. Do well not to injure them unless it is absolutely necessary."

"Yes, Grandmaster."

**Originally, this and chapter seven were one whole chapter, but I thought it would be better to split the two up. The next chapter will have a fight scene and to be honest, I am not that good at writing fight scenes, so beware. If you guys have any advice though, I would love to hear it!**


	8. Chapter Seven: Battle in Zhu Zin

**Chapter Seven: Battle in Zhu Zin**

The two robots sprinted towards Tundra while the one that first appeared headed towards Smoke. Oniro had walked away from the upcoming battle and leaned against one of the buildings to watch. He was sure there was no need for his assistance in this fight.

_Coward, _Smoke thought as he dodged a punch from his assailant. The gray ninja continued to evade the cyborgs attacks for a while, so he would have time to figure out a strategy. Hitting a robot directly would probably not be the best idea. It would cause more pain to Tomas than his opponent. He was no ordinary human, but he was not invincible.

Tundra, on the other hand, had encased his arms in ice and was attempting to strike back. He managed to get a hit on one of the robots in its jaw, causing some of the metal to come off. While he was occupied with that cyborg, the other tried to charge at the cryomancer from behind. Kuai was aware of the attack and quickly created an ice clone. He jumped back just before the machine could land a blow on him.

Instead, the cyborg was unable to stop itself from striking the doppelganger and was frozen upon contact. The blue ninja then advanced to the paralyzed robot to give it an uppercut, but before he could, something grabbed his arm and pulled him back. It was a claw that was attached to a rope and the cyborg with the ripped jaw was using it to bring Tundra towards him. The cryomancer had no time to get the claw off before a metallic fist connected with his face sending him flying a few feet back. The immobilized robot quickly broke free of its icy prison and the cyborgs rushed at the stunned Kuai.

As Smoke evaded another punch, he caught a glance at Tundra to see how he was holding in his fight and saw his friend on the ground as his opponents were charging at him. Swiftly, the gray ninja teleported over to Kuai and threw a smoke bomb at the approaching cyborgs hoping the impact would drive them back. The bomb exploded and covered the street in a smoke screen.

"They will not be able to use their heat vision in the smoke. We should run while we ca... ugh!"

A net was hurled at Smoke and it wrapped itself around his body. The net was not made like any net Tomas has seen. It pulsated with green energy and became tighter the more the gray ninja struggled to get out. Tundra was quickly captured with a net as well and tried to summon a weapon to cut the net, but he soon realized that he could not use any of his powers. Smoke attempted to transform into smoke but failed to use his abilities as well. It must be an effect of the energy radiating from the net.

"There is no point in struggling."

With a wave of his hand, the Grandmaster ordered the cyborgs to stand down and walked towards the incapacitated rogues. He kneeled beside Smoke's head with a sinister smile on his face.

"I have such high expectations of you, Tomas. You will become a being of great power once your transformation is complete."

"I am... not... going to let... you use... me. Not... anymore."

"I am afraid you have no choice. There is no escape."

"There is always... a choice."

Oniro raised an eyebrow as he turned to Tundra. The cryomancer was still fighting against his bonds despite the pain the net brought upon him. The old man laughed at Kuai's futile efforts and stood up.

"It seems that Smoke has been a bad influence on you, Tundra. Do you actually believe that you will get away from the Lin Kuei? That you can forget your past and start anew? No. No one leaves the Lin Kuei!"

Using his own power, the Grandmaster transformed his hand into a panther paw. Long, white claws protruded from the phalanges and Oniro admired them as he advanced towards Tundra.

"Punishment is due for your disloyalty. Do not worry. I will not do too much damage to you. Just enough for you two to understand how you should never have crossed me."

He bent down by Kuai and placed the tip of one of his claws above the cryomancer's right eyebrow.

"I will start with you first. After all, you have brought dishonor not only upon yourself, but your brother as well. Sub-zero would be ashamed to call you his sibling."

Slowly, the Grandmaster cut into Tundra's skin and brought his talon down over his eye. Smoke could do nothing but watch and listen to his friend's painful screams. But he had to do something. He could not just let Kuai suffer.

"Get away... from... him!"

"Or what? You are clearly in no state to be making demands, Smoke."

Suddenly, new information appeared in the cyborgs' visors.

"Grandmaster, an abnormal energy spike has appeared. It continues to rise as we speak."

"What!? From where?"

Smoke could not here anything but his heart beating in his ears. It felt like his whole being was on fire, that his very soul was being devoured by flames. As the Grandmaster left Kuai to consult with his robots, Tomas stared at his comrade, who now had a deep gash over his eye. Blood was flowing from the wound and Tundra had is eyes squeezed shut to ease the pain. The old man was going to regret harming the cryomancer.

"I..."

Tomas placed his hands on the ground and pushed himself up against the net. The force caused the green energy to spark electricity around the ninja's body. The Grandmaster's attention was drawn back to Smoke and his eyes widen as the man got to his feet.

"Am not..."

The once green energy was now turning into red as it encircled Tomas. Oniro looked to his machines for answers.

"What is this!? Tell me!"

"The source of... the energy... spike..."

The cyborg was unable to finish his sentence before it began to malfunction. Electricity sparked from all the robots as they all struggled to stay active, but they soon fell to the ground and were forced to shut down.

"Your pawn."

The deep voice alarmed the Grandmaster. No longer entangled in the net, Smoke was standing up tall and was glaring at the old man in rage. Oniro could not see that very well because smoke was disguising most of the gray ninja's form, but the Grandmaster was only concerned about one thing: red eyes. Glowing red eyes that peered at him through the fog with pure hatred. It was embarrassing to admit it but... Oniro was afraid. Sweat was dripping from his forehead and his hands were shaking uncontrollably in fear. Yet, as he stared at this... creature, the Grandmaster could not help but smile.

"This... This is what I wanted to see."

Smoke said nothing as he took a few steps towards the source of his anger. He did not get far before he felt an agonizing pain in his head. The ninja roared as he grabbed his head with his hands.

"No, Tomas! You cannot kill him! You are only giving it what it wants!"

Whose voice was that? Why was it interfering? Smoke fell to his knees and the smoke surrounding him spread throughout the town. The Grandmaster could not see anything now, but he knew this would probably be a good time for him to leave. Tomas' power was too much for even him to handle right now.

"This is not over."

After stating that vow, he took off in the opposite direction of the smoke and disappeared in the forest surrounding Zhu Zin. Tundra, now free of the net due to the cyborgs failing, pushed himself off the ground, but he immediately started coughing as the smoke consumed him. He could not see his friend through the fog, so he held his hand out as he walked and called out.

"Smoke! Smoke, where are you!?"

Tundra heard someone shouting and assumed it was Tomas. He followed the sound and soon found his comrade hunched over on the ground gripping his head. The cryomancer listened as Smoke was whispering to himself, clearly not aware that someone else was there with him.

"Shut...up... just shut...up."

"Tomas..."

Smoke had not heard Tundra, so the cryomancer called him again, this time a bit louder.

"Tomas."

Kuai bent down and was about to place his hand on Tomas' back.

"Don't!"

Tundra jumped when Smoke yelled.

"Please... don't touch...me."

Tundra had an incredulous look on his face. Why was Smoke telling him to stay away? Disregarding his friend's demand, Kuai put his hand on Tomas' back and started moving his hand in circular motions to calm Smoke down.

"Tomas, I have no idea what is happening to you, but you need to calm yourself. We have to leave while we have a chance."

"It... hurts..."

"It will be alright. Just trust in me like I have done for you."

Smoke's head was still down, but Tundra could see his friend nodding and the smoke was slowly fading away. Kuai grabbed the spherical device from his pocket.

"Elder Gods, please allow this to work."

He pressed the black button on the sphere and glowing green lines appeared on it. Soon after, a swirling green portal was made in front of the two warriors.

"Hopefully, this will lead us to where we need to go. There is nothing on this thing where we can input a destination."

Tomas groaned as he lifted his head. His eyes were now their normal silver color and the voices were gone. He recognized Pyros' voice, but... the other one was one he had not heard before. Whoever, or whatever, it was, it sounded like bad news.

"Can you stand?"

Smoke looked to his left with half-lidded eyes and saw Tundra staring at him with a worried look on his face. It was hard to focus on anything, but Tomas tried to lift himself off the ground only to fall right back down.

"I... might need your assistance."

Tundra nodded and grabbed his comrade's arm and slung it over his shoulder. Smoke's chin fell onto his chest as his head drooped and he had his eyes closed. Seeing his friend so drained, Kuai allowed Tomas to lean against him.

"One step at a time, alright?"

Again, Smoke simply nodded and the two steadily made their way through the portal into the unknown. Unbeknownst to the warriors, someone had been watching the fight from the roof of the inn. The bottom of his black cloak flowed in the wind as he stood, and a few strands of his black-gray hair blew in his face.

"The seal is breaking. I was able to contain it this time, but it is only going to get worse."

It did not seem like Pyros was speaking to anyone. Everyone had left Zhu Zin once the cyborgs appeared, so he was the only one there now. Was he speaking to someone telepathically like he had been doing with Smoke?

"I understand. If the time comes, I will do what is necessary. In the meantime, I shall see how things go once they reach Outworld. Many changes have occurred throughout the timeline due to this development. It will either save the realms... or destroy them. Only time will tell."

The telepath turned around and walked a few feet before vanishing. He was right about one thing: things were only going to get worse from here.


	9. Chapter Eight: Welcome to Outworld

**Chapter Eight: Welcome to Outworld **

With Earthrealm's victory in the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament, the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung devised a plan to host a new tournament in Outworld. If Earthrealm loses this competition, Outworld will absorb it, but if they won, Shao Kahn would abandon his claim to Earthrealm forever. Seeing that their last victory had saved Earthrealm, Raiden, the protector of Earthrealm and the god of thunder, refused the proposal. There was no need for any more bloodshed. However, an evasion of the Wu Shu Academy quickly changed the god's mind. During the Tarkatan's strike, Shaolin monks, as well as the military officer Sonya Blade, were kidnapped and are being used as leverage so Earthrealm would have to participate in the tournament to save them.

Once Raiden had informed the Elder Gods that he accepted Shao Khan's terms, the warriors of light immediately set off to Outworld. Raiden, Johnny Cage, and Jax entered Shao Kahn's throne room, but stood at the entrance to have a quick chat before making their presence known. Jax's sight landed on the emperor as he sat on his throne.

"I assume that's the big man himself."

"The wrestler guy? With the cow skull on his head? And why aren't the Kung Fu Twins here helping us?"

Without looking at the actor, Raiden answered his question, knowing who Cage was referring to.

"I sent Liu Kang and Kung Lao to free their Shaolin masters. I expected..."

When the thunder god did not finish his sentence, Jax and Johnny both turned to him. At first, Raiden just had a blank expression on his face, but then his head jerked back and he closed his eyes.

"Uh-oh."

"What do you mean uh-oh, Cage?"

"He's got the look. The "I see the future, it isn't pretty," kinda look. You know what I mean."

"Maybe it's a vision that could help us."

"Or maybe it's something terrible. Oh god, what if he sees my agent quitting on me!? That would be a big blow in my career!"

While Jax and Johnny argued, Raiden opened his eyes. Yet, when he did, Earthrealm's protector realized that he was not in Outworld anymore. Or at least his mind was not. This was not like the other visions Raiden had seen. Most of them were just images and voices, but this... it was as though he were in a dream. A very realistic dream.

He once again saw the Pyramid of Argus, the same place that he had seen in his first vision back at the tournament on Shang Tsung's island. There was a major difference, however. There was no one around, not even the bodies that Raiden remembered had been littering the ground. Fire roared from the top of the pyramid catching the god's attention. The flames flew about aimlessly, even violently as if they had a mind of their own.

Raiden felt a strange energy surging from the fire and knew something or someone was up there. He went up the steps of the pyramid and stood before a large fire pit. As if knowing someone was near, the fire settled down seemingly as to not injure their unexpected visitor. Deep within it, Raiden could barely see the outline of a figure taking form, a woman he believed. It was hard to say with the flames in the way, but once the being started talking, it confirmed the gender.

"Forgive me, Lord Raiden."

The woman's voice was like silk, yet the sadness she felt was clear as she spoke. She stepped forward just enough to show her face, but her eyes were covered by some sort of veil. The lady looked familiar to Raiden and he found it strange that he could seem to remember if the two had met before.

"What is it that you seek forgiveness for?"

"I have made a terrible mistake. My foolishness may very well mean the end of the realms."

"What do you mean?"

"If you truly desire to stop Armageddon, Liu Kang is not the answer. The answer you seek has yet to show itself."

"Then tell me where it is."

"I am sorry, but I cannot. That is for you to find out on your own. My presence here has already interfered with the timeline and..."

The woman suddenly stopped and looked around as though she thought someone was coming. Raiden did the same, but he saw no one.

"I am out of time."

Raiden looked back at the lady, who was now starting to disappear. He opened his mouth to speak, but the woman held her hand up to stop him.

"I know you have questions. Questions I wish I had the answers to. This may very well be the last time we speak to each other, so if we do meet again, I promise to tell you everything I know. Farewell, my lord."

"Wait..."

Raiden had no time to stop the woman before he was pulled back to reality. He grabbed his forehead and would have fell to the ground if Jax and Johnny had not caught him by his arms.

"Woah, easy there, Thunder Dude. We got you."

Ignoring Cage's nickname for him, Raiden told the actor and Jax that it was okay for them to let go of him and he stood up on his own. Once they made sure the thunder god was alright, the soldier was the first to ask Raiden about his vision.

"Do not worry about it. It is nothing to be concerned about at the moment. Our focus should be on the tournament and locating Sonya Blade."

Jax looked at the god skeptically but nodded. He was worried about his partner above all else.

"She better not have a scratch on her."

"Wait, this is a tournament!"

Jackson stomped towards middle of the room, determined to find Sonya. Raiden reached out to stop him, but it was too late. Shang Tsung had already spotted the African American.

"Ah! The Earthrealm delegation has arrived. And we have a volunteer for First Kombat."

Jax stopped and looked at the sorcerer in confusion.

"What?"

Shao Kahn looked to his Tarkatan followers.

"The tournament will begin!"

Meanwhile in another part of Outworld, there was a forest filled with dead trees and corpses. Crows had made a home here and some were currently feasting on some of the bodies. They gnawed and pecked at the maggot infested flesh and at one point, a few of the birds started to fight each other for the food. It was a terrible scene, but it was one that played too often for the people of Outworld to not care about it anymore. As the crows were enjoying their feast, one of them snapped their head up as though they heard something. It jerked its head in all directions, looking for something or someone who was not there.

Suddenly, something just appeared out of nowhere. Something circular that was swirling green and black. The crows shrieked furiously and quickly flew away as two forms were coming out of the strange object. Two men collapsed on the ground, one with silver hair and the other with black hair, and the portal closed behind them. With a hand over his mouth as though he were going to puke, Tundra was on his knees and trying to steady himself before he really did hurl. Going in between realms was not as easy or as comfortable as one may think and that little trip of the duo's made the cryomancer want to throw up his insides.

To make matters worse, Kuai's right eye was now blinded. He prayed to the gods that it was only temporary. Tundra ripped one of the sleeves of his shirt and wrapped it around his head to cover his injury. It will have to do until they reach a town to get supplies. They had no time to get their things from the inn before departing to Outworld.

As Kuai was tending to his eye, he looked over at Tomas, who has not said a word ever since they got out of the portal. The gray ninja was lying on his side with his eyes closed and he was sweating profusely. His skin even looked a bit flushed. Was he sick? The cryomancer reached over to his friend.

"Tomas, are you ok...Ah!"

Tundra had barely touched Smoke before his hand got burned. Tomas' skin was extremely hot and little puffs of smoke were emanating from his body. The yelp Kuai let out in pain caused Smoke to open his eyes and his sight drifted to his comrade. Shakily, the silver-haired warrior placed his hands on the ground and tried to force himself up, but he failed to do so and fell right back to the earth.

"On second thought, the ground feels nice."

A cold hand rested on the gray ninja's shoulder. Kuai had encased his arms in ice so the heat resonating from Tomas would not burn him again. The cryomancer helped his comrade up into a sitting position to see what was wrong with him.

"How bad is the pain?"

"Tundra, it is nothing..."

"How bad?"

Smoke sighed. At times like this, he would usually lie and say that he was okay to move on, but this time, the silver-haired man could not hide his discomfort.

"To be honest... it hurts just to sit up like this. I think I may have a fever."

"This is strange. You have never been sick before."

"I know. But we cannot just sit here. We have to... have to..."

Tomas was unable to finish his sentence before his eyes rolled into the back his head. Luckily, Kuai was still hanging on to him so his upper body remained upright. Smoke's whole body went completely limp in Tundra's arms and his breathing quickened. This was not good.

"Tomas? Tomas, wake up!"

The cryomancer patted Smoke on his cheek a few times and called his name, but he got no response from the gray ninja. Maybe there was a nearby village with someone who could help Tomas. There was not much Kuai could do, especially out in the middle of nowhere. As he was gently lifting his friend up so Tundra could carry Smoke on his back, he suddenly heard a voice. It sounded like... humming?

In the distance, Kuai could see someone coming their way. The stranger was plump man with long black hair tied back into a ponytail along with a beard. He took a swig of his beverage, which Tundra assumed was alcohol seeing how the man stumbled, and then continued to hum. Besides the drink he held, the man was also carrying a short staff. He did not seem aware of the two ninjas just a few meters away.

"Go outside, she says. It will be good for you, she says. Can't a man have a drink in peace?"

With that, the newcomer lifted his flask to take another drink from it, but it was empty. While the man was preoccupied with his beverage, Tundra laid Smoke on the ground and unfroze his arms. He did not think it was a good idea for anyone to know about his powers yet. Tundra then stood up and waited for the beer-bellied man to approach him. Unfortunately, the stranger was still desperately trying to shake something out of the flask.

"By the gods..."

Irritated, the cryomancer stomped towards the stranger. He was not going to let some drunk waste time that he nor Smoke had.

"Excuse me!?"

Kuai called out to the plump man, finally drawing his attention away from the empty flask. He looked up at Tundra and gave him a big toothy smile.

"Oh! Hello, my friend. Is there something I can assist you with? You look dreadful."

Usually, Kuai would have said some smart retort, but he chose to ignore the drunk.

"Yes, well, it is not me you should be worried."

Tundra looked back at Tomas, who was still unconscious. The stranger followed the cryomancer's gaze.

"As you can see, my friend is terribly ill. If you could point the way to the nearest town, I would appre..."

Tundra turned his head back to look at the drunk, but the man was no longer standing in front of him. Kuai looked all around him and soon found the stranger kneeling by Smoke. He had his hand on his chin as he looked over the unconscious form beneath him. Mist started to form around the cryomancer's hands, readying himself in case the man tried to harm his comrade.

"There is no need for that, cryomancer."

Kuai's eye widened. How did this drunk know about his powers? Did he see when Tundra had ice on his arms? Oddly enough, Tundra allowed his power to recede in his hands. He still kept a close eye on the stranger as he examined Smoke.

"Do not even think about trying anything."

The drunk just laughed at Tundra's threating tone, which annoyed the cryomancer greatly.

"I will keep that in mind. But really..."

The man then placed one of his hands under Tomas' legs and the other on his back. Kuai expected the drunk to jump back once he made contact with Smoke's flesh, but nothing happened. He was not at all affected by the heat that radiated from the gray ninja.

"Your friend needs to be treated. There is a village not far from here. A place called Sun Do, where I reside. There is someone there that may be able to help."

With a small grunt, the drunk lifted Tomas up bridal style. He then walked back over to where Kuai stood.

"Come now. There is no time to waste."

"How do I know that I can trust you?"

"Well, if I wanted to harm either of you, I would have done so by now. But you do have every right to be suspicious. I have not even told you my name, yet I am inviting you to my home."

"So... what is your name?"

"You may call me... Bo Rai Cho. Master Bo Rai Cho."


	10. Chapter Nine: Mysteries of the Mind

**Chapter Nine: Mysteries of the Mind**

Voices again. Some sounded scared while others sounded angry. They rang throughout Smoke's head, tormenting him. He was sure that he was going insane. Who are they? What was wrong with them? Out of all the voices, a particular one started getting louder than the rest. Soon it had overwhelmed the others and it was all Tomas could hear. It sounded like it was saying...

The gray ninja gasped as his eyes flew open. His body felt hot and weak, but fortunately, the pain was not as unbearable as it was before. Tomas did feel bad about making Kuai worry so much. After passing out, the cryomancer was probably going mad. As he looked around, Smoke could not find his comrade. Although, his current location definitely looked... familiar.

The cavern walls, the stone table... and the fire. Now Smoke was beginning to remember. This was his dream, his nightmare. For a while now, the silver-haired man has lost sleep due to his dreams, and it did not help that he could not remember what they were about once he woke up. All he could recall was an unforgettable sense of fear. Not his fear, but someone else's.

As Tomas stood up, he heard someone sniffing from outside of the cave. He started walking towards the entrance but was stopped just before he stepped outside. A hand had grabbed Smoke's arm and turned the ninja around to face its owner. The sudden action surprised Tomas, however, his shock soon faded as he recognized the newcomer.

"Pyros... do not tell me you will be in my dreams for now on."

"Ha, ha, I do apologize for invading your privacy, my boy."

"Now you are apologizing. You have been sneaking inside my head for gods-know-how-long and now you talk about my privacy."

"I know, I know, but when I realized the reason you did not tell Tundra about your dreams, I had to intervene. These are more than just dreams and you must remember them."

"Why? I told you before, they are nothing worth worrying about. They are DREAMS. Everyone has them."

"Indeed, but they are not as complex as yours. See for yourself."

Pyros gestured with his hand to the cave entrance and let go of Tomas' arm. The gray ninja turned away from the cloaked man and again started to walk outside. Now that he was away from the heat of the fire, Smoke shivered as the cool night air hit him. A full moon shined brightly in the sky and radiated the forest in its light. Even though this was a dream, Tomas savored the sight. It was nice, especially now that he was not being chased by the Lin Kuei. Hopefully, in the real world, it was just as safe for him and Kuai.

More sniffing interrupted Smoke's thoughts. He looked to his left and saw someone sitting on the ground. A boy. He had his knees drawn up to his chest and his head resting on them. Tears streaked down his cheeks as he continued to cry, unaware of Tomas' presence. The silver-haired man took a small step towards the child. When the kid did not look up, Smoke took another step and again, there was no response from them. Eventually, he had made his way to the boy.

"Hey..."

Tomas slowly knelt next to the child as he spoke. The kid did not look up.

"Are you alright, little one? Are you lost?"

Still nothing. Upon closer inspection, Smoke realized that the child had nothing on his body except for bandages, which hardly did anything to the cover the boy. He was practically naked, and Tomas could see the poor kid shaking from the cold.

"Well, maybe we should go somewhere warm at least. Here, let me help you."

Smoke then tried to place his hand on the boy's shoulder reassuringly, but instead, his hand went through the kid. Literally. It was as though the child was a ghost. Or was it the other way around? The gray ninja jerked his hand back and looked at it in disbelief. Then he remembered that this was all a dream. Crazy stuff like that happens in dreams, right?

Before he could think about the incident any further, Smoke heard shouting in the distance. The boy must have heard them too because he suddenly jerked his head up and quickly scrambled to his feet. Tomas looked back at the child, but once he saw the boy's face, he took a step back in shock. Pyros finally stepped out of the cave and took in the sight of Tomas and the child. He saw how the boy's hair was changing from black to silver along with his eyes. There were still patches of black in his hair, but it would not be long before they too changed color.

"It is almost like looking into a mirror, don't you think?"

_I really am dreaming, _Smoke kept telling himself. The kid looked exactly like him, except for his hair was short and it seemed that it was originally black. The same was with his eyes, which still had a bit of green left in them. The boy stared in the direction of the shouting that was gradually getting louder. His eyes widen and his breathing quickened when he spotted someone coming out of the woods. The stranger wore a red cloak and he was carrying a torch.

Without hesitating, the child turned and ran the opposite way of the cloaked man. Smoke tried to tell him to stop, but soon remembered that he could not be seen or heard.

"You could feel it, could you not? His fear? His sadness?"

Pyros walked up beside Tomas, who continued to look in the direction the boy had ran. The telepath looked as well.

"There is nothing you could have done. This is a memory after all."

Frowning, Smoke finally turned his attention to Pyros.

"A memory?"

"Yes. Everything that you just witnessed has already happened. That boy... well, by now you should have figured out who he was."

"I... but... I do not recall any of this. I thought that it was just a simple dream."

"A "simple" dream? My boy, is this not the source of your sleepless nights? I must say that this is anything but simple."

Was Pyros serious? Has Tomas really found one of his lost memories? And if that is true, then who were those cloaked men? What did they want with him, a child?

"Why now?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are these memories appearing now? After all these years, I finally remember something of my past, yet I... I do not feel..."

"Satisfied?"

"... Yes. I should be happy about this. The memory itself was not pleasant, but I should feel some sense of relief, yes? Instead, I am just as confused and lost as I was before this recollection."

Tomas looked that at his hands. They were shaking a little, but not out of fear. This was a lot to take in and Pyros clearly saw that in the ninja's eyes. In a way, Smoke had given up on finding out about his past and tried to move on with the life he had now. It had been twenty years and despite the assassination missions and rigorous training, Tomas' life as a Lin Kuei warrior had been decent. He had his friends to thank for that.

"I used to tell myself..."

Pyros was pulled from his own thoughts as Smoke spoke again. The gray ninja's hands were now clenched into fists.

"...that I would be able to face the truth. That I could deal with my past no matter how terrible it may have been."

"Are you having doubts?"

"...No."

Tomas lowered his hands and looked back at the telepath.

"In fact, I want to learn more."

"I see. Well, I am more than willing to help you with that."

Suddenly, the landscape was flooded with light and Smoke was blinded by its intensity. He shielded his eyes with his arms and waited for the light to dim down. After a moment, the silver-haired man slowly opened one of his eyes. Once his eyes adjusted, he was able to see the new environment he had been thrown into. The area was all white and had what looked like small screens that were projecting different images. Smoke walked up to one and saw himself, Kuai, and Cyrax surrounding Bi-han as he was reading aloud from a book. It was a pleasant memory of his childhood days when Sub-zero was not so cold, no pun intended.

"Are these all my memories?"

"Yes, my boy. Every one of your memories, past and present, is right here somewhere."

"If that is true, then I should be able to find memories of my past here, correct?"

"I am afraid it is not that simple. You see, your own mind has hidden your lost memories from you ever since you were a child. I believe that your subconscious was trying to protect you from something by hiding your past. But I cannot say what your mind was protecting you from."

"None of this makes sense. I unconsciously buried my own memories to the point where I forgot them?"

"Incidents like this are possible and have occurred in other people. The mind is a powerful thing."

Tomas placed his hands on his head and began pacing around the white space. He was terribly confused about what was happening, and the worst thing was that all of this was happening inside his head. The gray ninja had not been aware of these things occurring in his own mind and that seriously worried him. Speaking of worrying, Smoke barely noticed a peculiar looking screen as he walked past it. The screen had a black substance on it that completely blocked the scene that was playing.

"Pyros, do you know what that is?"

The telepath arched an eyebrow as he walked to Tomas.

"What is wh... oh my."

"What is wrong?"

"I... I am not exactly sure of what that black substance is but be wary of it. I feel a very dark aura coming from it."

"You are not the only one."

The closer Smoke was to the strange material, the more his body told him to run. He did take a few steps back, but he was also curious about what the black stuff was hiding. What memory was being played in that projection?

"Do not worry about that. I will take care of it, Tomas."

"This is my mind we are talking about. If something so dark has been residing here without my knowledge, I should be concerned about it."

"Yes, but not right now. Please, allow me to handle it and if things get out of control, then you have my permission to worry."

"You want me to put you in charge of my head?"

"Ha, ha. Well, that is a strange way to put it. Why don't you think of me as your keeper?"

"What do you mean "keeper?"

"I shall look over your current memories and help you regain the memories of your past. I will be your guide, if you will allow me."

This was strange indeed. It was like allowing someone to watch over your diary. Tomas trusted Pyros, but did he have that much trust in the telepath? Memories are important and are not things that should be tampered with. If he did give Pyros permission to look after his memories, there was no guarantee that he would not mishandle them. Then again, as much as the gray ninja hated to admit, he needed help and Pyros seemed to know more about his own mind then he did.

"I do not know..."

"I understand that this is a big decision to make, but I promise you, I will guard your memories with my life. I know how much they mean to you and I will not do anything to make you lose them again."

"... You swear to me?"

"I swear."

"... Alright. I believe you. Do not make me regret this."

"I will not."

Smoke only nodded in response and raised his hand to get a few strands of hair out of his face, but he froze when he saw his hand. It was transparent and slowly, the rest of his body became see-through. Pyros was not at all surprised by this.

"Oops. I thought we had more time."

"Am I waking up?"

"Yes, and do not worry. You and Kuai are being taken care of by good people. They may be Outworlders, but they fight for Earthrealm and are willing to help you in any way."

"Who are these Outworlders?"

"You will see soon enough. Good luck my boy, and please, take care of yourself."

And with that, Smoke's form disappeared, and he awoke.


	11. Chapter Ten: Master of Masters

**Chapter Ten: Master of Masters**

Using his shapeshifting abilities, Oniro was able to make it back to the Lin Kuei temple in record time. His own frustration and anger fueled him throughout the short journey. The Grandmaster stomped across the wooden bridge that lead to the temple's gates and before anyone could greet the old man, he shoved his way past them and thrust the doors open. He did not have time to be bombarded by his underlings. Now, he needed to check in with the leader of the Black Dragon clan.

Oniro burst into the lab and headed straight to Kano, who was having fun messing with some of the recently transformed assassins that were not activated yet. They laid motionless on steel tables in their now metallic bodies waiting to be awakened to serve their master.

"Ha, ha, ha! You know, I've been thinking, mate. What if we changed your voices to sound like the Terminator, eh? That'll make some poor bastards shit their pants, won't it Baldy?"

One of the scientists who had been typing on a computer raised his head up and tried to mask his annoyance. He was indeed bald, but he hated the nickname his boss gave him. He could have sworn he heard snickers behind him, too. Ignoring Kano's suggestion, the Grandmaster stopped in front of the Australian and spoke.

"Have you finished with the preparations?"

"Wha... oh, yeah! The two in the back are fully operational and ready to go, mate."

"Good. Send them out now."

"Sure, but what's the rush? We have some time before..."

"I said send them out NOW."

Kano just shrugged and walked over to Baldy.

"I don't know what's got the old man's panties in a twist, but..."

The Black Dragon's leader took a glance at Oniro, who stood standing a good distance away with his arms crossed. Hopefully, the Grandmaster had not heard Kano's smart remark.

"Go ahead and activate units LK-9T9 and LK-4D4. The Grandmaster has a job for them."

The bald man nodded and entered some sort of code into the computer. Soon after, a box appeared on the screen saying that data was being processed. It took a while, but finally, the process was complete, and a monotone voice rang from the computer.

"Units LK-9T9 and LK-4D4 activated."

The moment the labels were called, the sound of clanking metal on the floor could be heard. Two robotic figures walked into the lab, one red and one yellow. Kano snorted.

"They look like fucking mustard and ketchup. Mustard and ketchup, mate!"

He burst into laughter and again, the Grandmaster ignored him. He did not have time for the Australian's stupidity. At least he was better with technology and weaponry than he was with jokes.

"I have an assignment for the two of you. Three of our cyborgs have failed to complete their mission. I expect that you will not do the same."

While the yellow cyborg stayed put, the red one kept walking until it stopped right in front of Oniro. The old man was not at all intimidated by the robot.

"Do you understand your orders?"

"Yes, Grandmaster."

"Good. And remember, you are the only one who has not been programmed with the slaving protocol. Do not take advantage of that. But…"

The Grandmaster looked back at the other cyborg, who was standing silently a few feet away.

"Do with him as you wish. After all, traitors need to be punished. Simply going through the transformation is not punishment enough."

The red cyborg clenched his fists in anticipation.

"Very well. We will not disappoint."

Oniro smirked.

"Of course you won't. No child of mine has room for error."

Meanwhile in Sun Do, a woman with black hair tied back into a ponytail was walking to one of the small rooms in her hut. Her friend had brought back two strangers from his stroll in the forest. One was a cryomancer, ice-wielding warriors that she thought were extinct. The other was terribly ill and speaking of him, the woman was opening the door to his room to check on his condition. Last time she saw the stranger, he was still unconscious and had a really high fever. His skin would have burned her if not for her fire-wielding abilities. Hopefully, the fever has gone down.

As she stepped inside the room, the woman saw that her patient was sitting up on the mat he had slept on. He looked much better than he had before. Color was coming back into his skin and he was not sweating as bad. Silver eyes looked up at the woman who had stopped at the doorway. Smoke gave her a small smile.

"Hello."

"… Hello."

An awkward silence passed between the two. The woman honestly had no idea what to expect from her guest once he woke up.

"Well, I… I apologize if I disturbed your sleep. I can…"

"No, no. I have been awake for a while."

"Oh, alright. How do you feel?"

"Better, thank you. I hope my presence has not alerted you. I mean no harm to you or…"

"I know. My master is a good judge of character."

"Your master?"

"Yes. He and your friend went to get some firewood. They should be back shortly."

Tomas just nodded and attempted to get up from his bed. The woman quickly went to his side and placed a hand on the ninja's shoulder to stop him.

"No, please. You need to rest."

"I feel as though I have rested long enough."

"Your comrade would disagree."

"How would you know?"

"I saw how concerned he was when he and my master came. He stayed right by your side until Master Bo Rai Cho convinced him to help him with wood. It was rather sweet."

That caused the silver-haired man to laugh.

"Do not let him hear you say that. He will claim he is anything but sweet."

"Maybe so, but that still does not change the fact the he will want you fully healed before continuing your journey. So again, please. Rest."

With a sigh, Smoke stayed where he was and the woman lets go of his shoulder. She soon decides to start back up the conversation they were having.

"May I ask your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes. You do have one, do you not?"

The gray ninja debating on whether he should tell her his real name, but since she has already seen his face, it did not matter now. Knowing Kuai, he probably held back on telling this woman either one of their real names. Smoke did not blame the cryomancer for that.

"It is… Tomas. Tomas Vrbada."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tomas. I am Li Mei."

"Pleasure to meet you too, Li Mei. I assume that my friend introduced himself as Tundra and me as Smoke."

"Yes, and I assumed that those are not your real names. Tomas sounds much better anyway."

"Ha, ha. You think so?"

It felt weird for anyone outside of the Lin Kuei to say his name. It felt foreign in a way, like the name did not belong to Tomas. Perhaps it did not, but it was the only thing that he could remember from his past that stayed with him, so he would keep the name. After all these years, he owned that name now.

"Li Mei is a nice name. You know, your name means "pretty rose" in Chinese."

"Is that so? I like that."

A knock resonated from the door making Tomas and Li Mei turn their heads in its direction. Li Mei went to the door and grabbed the handle.

"Who is it?"

"Li Mei, I found a nice piece of wood that talks to me. It says "open the door, we're starving!""

The black-haired woman rolled her eyes as she opened the door, revealing her master and Tundra. Each of them had a pile of wood in there arms.

"Hello, Li Mei. Have you been taking care of our guest?"

"Yes, master. He awoke shortly after you two left."

"Wonderful. I am sure you would like to see your comrade, right cryomancer?"

"You do not need to keep calling me that. I have told you my name."

"Indeed you have, cryomancer."

Tundra grunted in annoyance. The drunken master laughed and walked away while his student walked up to Tundra.

"Do not worry. He is not usually so annoying."

"For his sake, I hope you are right."

"You do not plan on fighting him, do you?"

"He is definitely thinking about it."

Kuai and Li Mei looked over at the room Smoke had been residing in, only to see the gray ninja standing in the doorway with a smug smile on his face. Tundra had to smile at the sight.

"I am guessing you are feeling better. You looked like shit."

"Aw, Tundra, you wound me. Besides, I make shit look good."

"That… sounds so wrong on so many levels."

Smoke laughed and soon, Tundra joined in. Li Mei stood back and watched the display between the two Lin Kuei. She started reminiscing of the times when she used to laugh with her friends and family. When Shao Kahn was not the emperor. Her smile quickly dropped when she thought about that.

"So, Li Mei…"

Li Mei shook her thoughts away as Kuai approached her. He placed a fist over his heart and bowed to the Outworlder.

"I did not properly thank you for helping my friend and I. I do not know what we would have done if you and Master Bo Rai Cho had not aided us."

"Wait…"

Smoke arched an eyebrow as he looked at Tundra and Li Mei in confusion.

"Did you just say Master…"

"BO RAI CHO!"

Tomas' eyes widen when he heard the booming voice and tensed up when he felt an arm wrap around his neck. Bo Rai Cho meant it as a friendly gesture, but by the ninja's reaction, the plump man realized that he may have gone a bit too far.

"Hello, my friend. How was your sleep? Are you hungry? Would you like a drink?"

"Uh… no. No thank you, but… you are really Master Bo Rai Cho? The Drunken Master?"

As if to answer Smoke's question, Bo Rai Cho took a huge swig out of his flask, which he had refilled before he and Kuai went to get the firewood, and let out a huge burp.

"Oh, that's a stinky one."

"That burp?"

"No. That fart."

"Master! How rude!"

Everyone started covering their noses and running out of the house. Tomas thought the smell would knock him back into the world of unconsciousness, Kuai felt like he was going to puke again, and even though she knew how nasty her master could be, Li Mei would never get used to Bo Rai Cho's farts. Ever.

Once the smell died down, Smoke, Tundra, and Li Mei went back into the house. Bo Rai Cho was sitting in a chair near a fire he made with the wood he and Kuai brought back. The three also took seats around the fire.

"My apologies. I should have said "excuse me.""

"Yes, you should have master."

"Anyway, now that you know my name, how about you tell me yours, fire man?"

Was he referring to Smoke? The gray ninja heard Tundra snickering in the corner.

"Well, my name is… Tomas Vrbada."

"Tomas? What a boring name! I like fire man better."

"Master…"

"Ha, ha. I am only joking with him, Li Mei. Tomas is a nice name."

"Uh… thank you?"

"I like fire man."

Smoke glared at his friend, but Tundra just smirked at him. The name was funny. As Tomas looked at his friend, however, he finally noticed the scar that covered Kuai's eye from their former Grandmaster's punishment. The gray ninja felt terrible for what happened and wished he could have done more. The cryomancer did not deserve that. Kuai must have known what his friend was thinking about and placed a hand on his face near the scar. Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei noticed and they silently agreed to change the subject.

"So, are you two here for the tournament?"

Both ninjas' heads jerked towards the drunken master. He had gotten their attention.

"Yes. We are looking for the sorcerer, Shang Tsung. He may know something about the death of my brother."

"I see. Did your brother happen to be a Lin Kuei warrior named Sub-Zero?"

"… Yes. How did you know?"

"You both are cryomancers, it was not hard to piece together. But… are you sure you want to hear about Sub-zero's fate?"

Bo Rai Cho's usually cheery tone changed quickly when he mentioned the deceased fighter. It unnerved the two former Lin Kuei and even Li Mei. Tomas and Kuai looked at each other again. Did they really want to know what happened to their friend and brother? They made it this far to find out the truth, so they could not back away now, right? Tundra nodded and Smoke gave the master their answer.

"… We want to know. He was not only my friend, he was as much as a brother to me as he was to Kuai. We owe it to Sub-zero to find the truth."

Bo Rai Cho nodded.

"Very well. I will tell you everything I know. After all… I was there when it happened."


	12. Chapter Eleven: Sun Do's Rebellion

**Chapter Eleven: Sun Do's Rebellion**

"The Mortal Kombat tournament. The Elder Gods created this competition in order to give Earthrealm a chance to defend itself after the merging of Edenia and Outworld. It is only for those who can stomach an unimaginable amount of blood and gore. Some fight for the sake of their own realms while others fight for their own personal reasons. If I may ask, why was the Lin Kuei participating in the tournament? I did not think your clan…"

"They are not our clan. Not anymore."

Smoke interrupted Master Bo Rai Cho. He and Tundra were not going to stand by and be wrongly associated with their former brethren.

"Tundra and I defected from the Lin Kuei. Oniro wanted to transform us into robotic slaves."

"Oniro? It looks like old age has finally weakened his mind. Why would he want to do anything as foolish as that?"

"I do not know, and honestly, I do not care to know. No reason could possibly justify these actions."

"No, I cannot say there is. I am sorry that you two were driven away from your former comrades, but I must say that I am relieved. The Lin Kuei has quite an infamous reputation. Neither of you belonged in that clan."

"Yes, well… some of us had no choice but to join."

Tundra knew what Smoke meant. While the cryomancer was raised by the clan from an infant, Tomas did not have the options Kuai thought he had. He used to believe that he had the choice of leaving the Lin Kuei whenever he wanted, but his friend knew better. If the gray ninja had not been recruited, more than likely, he would have been killed. Of course, Smoke told Tundra that he agreed to join the clan for the sole purpose of finding his memories. He did not want to admit that he was afraid of dying if he refused. Kuai hated how oblivious he was of true nature of the Lin Kuei.

Tundra sighed and placed a hand on Smoke's shoulder. He then thought it would be better if they continued their previous conversation. They could not afford to be sidetracked.

"In this tournament, did you see my brother's killer?"

"Yes. However, you would not believe me if I told you that he is a specter of the Netherrealm… and a member of the Shirai Ryu."

Small gasps escaped the ninjas' mouths. Bi-han was killed by a Shirai Ryu?

"But, we thought the Shirai Ryu were destroyed."

"They were. The Netherrealm sorcerer, Quan Chi, brought this one back to life and his rage against Sub-zero and the Lin Kuei is illimitable."

"Why would this Shirai Ryu have a grudge against Sub-zero?"

"When the specter first appeared, just before his battle against a pupil of mine named Kung Lao, he claimed that Sub-zero was responsible for the death of his family and clan."

What? Smoke, Tundra, Sub-zero… they were all killers. But none of them would ever participate in any genocide, even if the victims were their rivals. There were innocents among the Shirai Ryu just like in the Lin Kuei. Both Tomas and Kuai shook their heads at the thought.

"My brother would never have done such a thing. Yes, we were assassins and we were taught never to hesitate when killing someone, but we still have morals. Rivals or not, if you exterminate a clan, you are killing a family, something we would never want anyone to do to us."

"Tundra is right. We only killed those that intended to harm us. I do not believe there was any reason for Sub-zero to help murder the entire Shirai Ryu. You do know that includes children, yes? There must be some mistake."

Bo Rai Cho listened to the two ninjas as they spoke up for their fallen brother. He himself had not talked to the elder cryomancer that much when he was alive so he cannot say whether the man was capable of doing such a feat.

"I do not know the truth behind the specter's words, but that is what I heard."

"What is his name? The Shirai Ryu?"

"If I remember correctly, it was Scorpion. In fact, his attire made him look much like a scorpion. He was the original fire man, Tomas."

Smoke had to laugh. Tundra, however, was not amused.

"Is he participating in the tournament here in Outworld?"

"I am not sure, but if Quan Chi is there, Scorpion is bound to be there as well. The tournament is being held in Shao Kahn's palace. It will not be easy getting in there without an invitation."

"If this Scorpion is there, we will find a way."

Kuai then stood up from his seat and headed to the door. Tomas quickly caught up with him just as he grabbed the door handle and stopped him. The gray ninja lowered his voice so Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei could not hear him.

"Kuai, I understand you want to go after Scorpion, but we cannot attack him blindly. Besides, we still have to find a way in the palace. If we can get to Shang Tsung and tell him that we are still Lin Kuei, he may allow us to fight in the tournament and then…"

"I do not care about that stupid competition! Once Scorpion is defeated, we will have no more reasons to battle anyone else."

"I know that, but we need to think carefully about this. If we make one mistake, it could cost us our lives. Now that we know who Scorpion is and he does not know anything about us, we have an advantage. We know to know his skills, his strengths, his weaknesses. Master Bo Rai Cho may have more intel on those."

"Maybe so, but…"

Banging on the door interrupted the two ninjas' conversation. Tundra pulls his hand away from the handle and he and Smoke stepped back. They looked back at Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei. Li Mei stepped forward and told Tomas and Kuai to hide in one of the rooms. Her master led the way. Once they were out of sight, Li Mei shouted to the person on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?"

"Open the door now! The emperor demands your cooperation!"

Li Mei's eyes widen. Tarkatan. Why in the name of the gods were they here? If they saw her, she was doomed. She felt someone pulling on her arm and saw that it was Bo Rai Cho.

"Go. I will take care of them."

Li Mei was about to argue with him, but there was no time for that. She simply nodded and joined Smoke and Tundra, closing the room door behind her. Bo Rai Cho took a deep breath, smiled, and opened the door. He was greeted by three tarkatan with one wearing a red tunic and imperial armor. He must be a someone of high-rank like a general. The other two wore simple gis and black boots.

"Rumors have spread that two Earthrealmers have entered Outworld without the emperor's knowledge. One of the villagers here claimed that you have these trespassers in your care."

"My friend, you should know better than to listen to such rumors. I have not seen a single Earthrealmer in Sun Do and if I did, I would inform the emperor immediately."

"We are no friends of yours, drunk. How you have come to be called a master of anything is beyond me. But our lord believes that your skills are useful."

"Why, I am flattered."

"What I do not understand, however, is why you did not participate in the last tournament or the one currently taking place."

"Excuse me?"

It was a good question, Smoke and Tundra thought. Maybe Bo Rai Cho did not want to get involved because he feared for his own life, but the two have heard that the drunk trained Earthrealm warriors so they could fight in the tournament. But why have others fight instead when he seemed more than capable of fighting himself? Tomas started listening again to the exchange between Bo Rai Cho and the unwelcomed guest.

"Nevermind that. We will need to search your house for the intruders. I could care less about your personal life."

"Is that really necessary?"

Bo Rai Cho's question was answered when all three tarkatan summoned their blades from their arms. The plump man kept a smile on his shook his head. The general tarkatan suddenly started sniffing the air and grunted in disgust.

"They are here. I can smell them. The foul stench of Earthrealm."

He tried to walk past Bo Rai Cho to get inside his house, but the drunk blocked the tarkatan's path.

"Step aside."

"I apologize, but I will not. I still have not answered your question."

"What?"

"You asked why I do not fight in the tournament. I wish to tell you."

"I told you I do not…"

Bo Rai Cho took a step towards the tarkatan to close the gap between them. Their noses were barely an inch apart.

"Outworld is my home. I was born here and anyone who is born here serves Outworld and only Outworld. If I was victorious in Mortal Kombat, my victory goes to Shao Kahn, correct?"

"… Yes. And?"

"Well, you see, that is a problem."

Bo Rai Cho grabbed his flask and took a huge swig of his beverage. As he lowered his drink, he opened his mouth as though he was going to burp. Instead, fire shot out of his mouth like a dragon. The armored tarkatan had no time to react as the flames engulfed him. He screamed and lashed out at Bo Rai Cho, but the drunk swiftly moved out of the way and the burning creature fell face-first into the living room of his home. The smell of fire and burning flesh reached Smoke's nose first and he cracked opened the door to see where it was coming from. When he saw the flaming body on the floor, he looked up at Master Bo Rai Cho in shock as he moved towards the other two tarkatan. Was he the one who did this?

Bo Rai Cho continued forward and with every step he took, the two tarkatan stepped back. The drunken master laughed at them.

"I do not and will not ever fight for Outworld as long as it is under Shao Kahn's rule. Edenia has already fallen victim to the emperor's thirst for power. Earthrealm will not suffer the same fate."

The tarkatan just snarled and got into their fighting stances. Bo Rai Cho did the same. Inside the house, Li Mei saw her master's jo by the fire. Before anyone could stop her, she ran into the living room and grabbed the weapon.

"Master!"

Bo Rai Cho looked back and Li Mei threw the jo to him. He caught the weapon in one swift motion and pointed it at the tarkatan. Their heads snapped up to see the newcomer.

"Wait… you are one of the rebels. You escaped imprisonment!"

"Yes, she did. And I was the one who helped her. Shao Kahn had no right to capture her or her people in the first place."

"That is not for you to decide! We will have your heads for your defiance!"

With a roar, the tarkatan charged at Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei. Smoke and Tundra were about to come to their aid, but just as the tarkatan launched themselves at their prey, Li Mei released fireballs from her hands and threw them in front of the incoming attackers. The force of the blows launched the tarkatan into the air. One flew into a nearby house while the other landed in an open area in the village's square. The one in the house struggled to get up from the rubble, but Li Mei appeared and placed her foot on his throat. Bo Rai Cho approached the other tarkatan and thrusted the end of his jo into the his chest to keep him on the ground. He looked to the villagers that had surrounded the area when they heard the commotion.

"What are you fools staring at!? Serve your emperor and dispose of these traitors!"

For a while, the people of Sun Do just stared at the tarkatan and Bo Rai Cho. It felt like forever before someone actually stepped up and confronted the fighters. It was a man with short brown hair and he was carrying a pitchfork. He stopped by the tarkatan's head and looked at Bo Rai Cho.

"Allow me to finish this, Master Bo Rai Cho."

"What!?"

The tarkatan was stunned at the villager's words. Soon, others stepped up as well and joined the brown-haired man. They too carried pitchforks and other items that could be used as weapons. One even ran to the tarkatan and kicked him right in the face.

"We are sick of this, tarkatan!"

"We are prisoners in our own homes! We cannot live like this anymore!"

"Shao Kahn needs to be stopped!"

Everyone started voicing their thoughts on Shao Kahn's rule and some through slurs at the tarkatan. Li Mei smiled as the villagers rebelled and Bo Rai Cho took another swig of his drink. Tomas and Kuai finally stepped out the house and saw the display.

"It looks like we are not the only ones rebelling against unjust rule, right Kuai?"

"It seems that way. I guess it was a good thing we stayed as long as we did. The people of Sun Do needed this."

"Yes, but let us not make a habit out of making rebels wherever we go. We have our own problems to worry about."


	13. Chapter Twelve: Intruders

**Chapter Twelve: Intruders**

"Have the tarkatan returned from Sun Do?"

"No, my lord."

After postponing the Mortal Kombat tournament at Shang Tsung's request, the sorcerer informed Shao Kahn of the possibility of Earthrealmers in a nearby village. He did not think they were some of Raiden's fighters, but if they really were from Earthrealm, the emperor could not risk them being recruited by the thunder god.

"I am sure they will return soon, emperor. As small as Sun Do may be, it will still take some time to search the villagers' homes. And some may be… uncooperative."

The emperor only nodded. Shang Tsung opened his mouth to say something else, but Shao Kahn held his hand up to stop him. At the same time, the doors of his throne room were opened and his daughter stepped in along with her bodyguard. The princess was dressed in a blue outfit while her friend was dressed in green.

"We will speak later, sorcerer. Leave us."

Shang Tsung bowed and obeyed the emperor's command. As he walked out, he nodded his head to the princess, but she ignored him. Kitana always thought that the sorcerer was a snake and she and Jade kept their eyes on him. If Shang Tsung did anything to her father, he would pay with his life. The two woman stopped in front the emperor's throne and bowed.

"You summoned me father?"

"Yes, Kitana. I have a task for you."

"Anything."

Shao Kahn smiled at his daughter's quick response. Always so obedient and loyal.

"Reptile has reported Earthrealmers in the village Sun Do. We do not know if they have left the village or are still hiding there, but we must be cautious. We cannot allow Raiden to find these Earthrealmers, so if either of you find them, dispose of them immediately."

"Yes, father."

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. Jade, you may leave. I wish to speak to Kitana about another matter."

"Yes, my lord."

Jade took her leave, leaving Kitana alone with her father. What did the emperor wish to speak with her about?

"Kitana."

At the sound of her name, the princess' head snapped up in full attention.

"The Shaolin monk, Liu Kang. Shang Tsung tells me that you were meant to kill him before he could reach the final challenge in the last tournament."

Damned sorcerer. Kitana hoped Shang Tsung would not mention her failure to Shao Kahn, but she should have known better. The emperor's right hand would do anything to make Shao Kahn angry with her. Childish.

"Yes, father. I have failed you. I deserve to be punished."

"_I have failed my father. You must kill me."_

Kitana thought back to what she said when Liu Kang defeated her on Shang Tsung's island. She thought the monk would kill her since her intention was to kill him. Instead, he let her live. But why?

" Do not fret about that."

Wait, what? Kitana frowned at the unexpected response. Shao Kahn was not one for failure, not even from his own daughter. So why was he being so lenient about this?

"Shang Tsung underestimated that monk. He himself could not defeat him."

Shao Kahn stood up from his throne and walked to his daughter. He towered over Kitana, but she was not at all intimidated by his size. After all, he was her father.

"If this Liu Kang was able to beat Shang Tsung so easily, then he may be a worthy opponent for me."

_"I hope we meet again. Under… different circumstances."_

The princess hoped that those circumstances did not involve him having his head on a stake once her father was done with him. Maybe he would not get that far.

"You will be fighting in this tournament, father?"

"Of course."

He started to walk off and Kitana turned her head to watch him. Shao Kahn spoke to her once more without turning to look at her.

"I have business to attend to with the sorcerer. Do not fail me this time, Kitana."

"I will not."

And then the emperor left his daughter alone in his throne room. Now that she was by herself, a sad expression spread across her face. Why did she care so much about a stupid monk?

"Kitana."

Just the person she needed to talk to. Kitana turned around to face Jade as she walked in. They smiled at each other.

"Is everything alright?"

"I… I honestly do not know."

"Well, was your father angry with you?"

"No. He just wanted to talk about the monk Liu Kang."

"Ah, yes. Your Earthrealm lover."

Kitana shoved her friend while Jade just laughed.

"He is not my lover."

"I see the way you look at him. You cannot fool me. You are in love!"

"Do not say that out loud! What if someone is listening? What if my father is listening?"

"Alright, princess, my lips are sealed. For now."

Kitana rolled her eyes, but she laughed as well.

"So, should we get going?"

"After you, your highness."

The two friends headed out and waited for their targets to make themselves known. Little did they know, those Earthrealmers would soon come to them. In Sun Do, Smoke and Tundra were being bombarded by questions from the townsfolk. None of them have ever meet an Earthrealmer before and after their encounter with the tarkatan, they were curious about the ninjas' intentions in Outworld. While Kuai ignored most of him, being that he is not really a social person, Tomas tried his best to talk to them. Yet, he could not get one word out before someone asked him another question.

"Why were those tarkatan after you two?"

"I do no…"

"Are you an enemy of Shao Kahn? Are you fugitive?"

"Well…"

"Are you going to fight in the tournament?"

"No, we…"

Before another wave of questions came his way, Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei came to Smoke's rescue. Bo Rai Cho spoke to the crowd in a booming voice to get them to stop talking.

"Everyone, please listen! I know you have many questions for our visitors, but we do not have time for that! Right now, I need everyone to go and grab their belongings as quickly as you can! We must leave before Shao Kahn sends more of his men here!"

"How could you do this to us!?"

Everyone turned to the person who spoke. He was an elderly man with a bald head and a scraggily white beard. He still had a decent build despite his old age. The old man pointed to Tomas and Kuai and scowled at them.

"These Earthrealmers are the reason for our troubles. And you…"

He pointed at Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei.

"You two went against Shao Kahn to protect them. Once the emperor realizes what you have done, he will kill us all! Have you all gone mad!?"

Murmurs spread throughout the crowd as they thought about what the old man had said. Some started nodding their heads in agreement. Bo Rai Cho started to walk to the old man, but Smoke stopped him.

"He is right."

Now everyone was looking at him. Tomas was not use to such attention, so he was a bit uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he continued.

"If we had not been here, those tarkatan would not have come to Sun Do, and for that… we apologize. But we had no choice."

Smoke looked at Master Bo Rai Cho.

"I was near death when this man found us in the forest. He carried me all the way here so I could be treated."

Tomas then looked to Li Mei, who placed her hand on his shoulder.

"This woman cared for me and helped me through my sickness. These people allowed us into their home and they did not even know us. We were complete strangers. Yet, they still took us in and we are eternally grateful for their kindness."

The gray ninja heard a sniff from beside him, and he, Li Mei, and Kuai looked over in that direction. On Smoke's right, Bo Rai Chi literally had tears in his eyes. Again, the drunk wrapped his arm around Tomas' neck, but this time, the silver-haired man could barely breath due to the strength of Bo Rai Cho's hold.

"That… That was beautiful, fire man! I do not regret letting you and the cryomancer into our home."

"Neither do I."

Even though he was trying to break out of Bo Rai Cho's powerful hold, Smoke still looked over at Li Mei and smiled at her. She smiled back and then looked at Kuai. He also gave her a small smile in return.

"But now…"

Finally, Smoke slid from under Bo Rai Cho's arm and walked to Tundra.

"I think it is time for us to go."

Kuai Liang nodded in agreement.

"I believe so. It will not be long before more of Shao Kahn's servants are sent here. What will you do?"

"We will be alright, but Sun Do is no longer safe. We have to leave soon."

The two ninjas were worried about Bo Rai Cho, Li Mei, and the other villagers. They all participated in a crime against the emperor and it would not be long before word reaches Shao Kahn of it. They already knew that there was a traitor among them. Speaking of which, Tomas had an idea of who that was.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Smoke approached the old man who had insulted him and Tundra.

"You would not have been the one who told Shao Kahn of our arrival here in Outworld, no?"

"What?"

The old man took a step back and his once confident expression twisted into one of fear. Now it was Tomas' turn to scowl.

"You talk about us being the ones who brought misfortune upon you and your people. Yet, if our location was never revealed to the emperor, would those tarkatan have come to your village?"

"I have no idea what you are talking abo… oof!"

A staff was pushed into the old man chest and the impact threw him onto the ground. Bo Rai Cho moved to the man and held him up by the collar of his shirt.

"I should have known. You hate towards Earthrealm is misplaced."

"Is it!? Why was it that our realm had to be the one to suffer!?

"Earthrealm is not responsible for what happened to Edenia!"

"Wait, Edenia?"

Smoke and Tundra shared a look of confusion, and Li Mei must have noticed it.

"Yes. That man is Edenian."

The two ninjas looked back at Li Mei as she approached her master and the old man still in his grasp.

"As you may already know, Edenia was one of the six realms before it was merged with Outworld. King Jerrod, the ruler of Outworld, was killed by Shao Kahn and the emperor took his wife as his prize. The empress, Queen Sindel, sacrificed herself to provide Earthrealm with protection that the Elder Gods refused to give. She was a kind woman who believed Earthrealm did not deserve to suffer as Edenia had."

"And she would still be alive if she had not cared for your people."

The old man was clawing at Bo Rai Cho's hands, but you could still see the tears that began to form in his eyes.

"Why!? Was has Earthrealm ever done for Edenia!? Your people did not bother to help us when Shao Kahn invaded our realm! Now look at what you two have done!"

Li Mei laid her hand on her master's arm and silently pleaded for him to let go of the Edenian. Hesitantly, the drunk let go and then drunk from his flask. As an uncomfortable silence passed through, Kuai suddenly had an idea.

"Wait, where is it that you will go now?"

"We are not sure, but we will figure it out. Outworld is not as small as you would think."

"Neither is Earthrealm."

"But we do not have a way to get there. Shao Kahn controls who enters and exits Outworld."

"No."

The cryomancer then dug into one of his jean pockets and pulled out Cyrax's sphere. Smoke had completely forgotten about their friend's invention.

"I am surprised that thing is still intact."

"Fortunately. This should help you get everyone to Earthrealm. I am not sure of the exact location you will end up in, but anywhere is safer than here at the moment."

Tundra handed the device to Bo Rai Cho who looked at the object with a quizzical look.

"Are you sure this ball will be of any help to us?"

Li Mei scoffed and took the sphere from Bo Rai Cho. She bowed to Kuai.

"Thank you so much. We are grateful for this, Tundra."

"Kuai."

Li Mei and Bo Rai Cho arched an eyebrow.

"Kuai?"

"Yes. My real name is Kuai Liang."

The stupidest grin spread across Smoke's face. He patted his friend on the back.

"Look who is trying to socialize! Good for you, my friend."

Kuai rolled his eyes, but he smiled too and Li Mei laughed. Even Bo Rai Cho let out a hearty laugh. But the happy moment was short lived when reality came crashing down on the four.

"So, I suppose you two will be leaving soon as well."

Smoke and Tundra both nodded.

"We need to get to the palace as soon as we can."

"Exactly. We mean no disrespect, but we have wasted enough time here."

Her smile faltered a little, but she understood.

"Very well, but there is one thing you have forgotten."

"Oh? What is that?"

Li Mei pulled at the fabric of Smoke's torn shirt in disgust.

"You do not plan on fighting in such attire, do you?"


	14. Chapter Thirteen: New Allies

**Chapter Thirteen: New Allies**

"Sure have a way with women."

Sonya Blade commented as Jax helped her down from the hook she was placed on. The African American lowered her to the ground and released his partner from the ropes that bounded her.

"You know me. I'm a class act."

"Thanks. What took you so long?"

Jax did not have time to answer Sonya's question before Johnny appeared. He made sure the blonde saw the big bruise on his cheek.

"He was busy hitting me in the face."

The two members of the Special Forces smiled, more because they had found each other rather than the actor's poor attempt at a joke. After looking around Shao Kahn's palace for what seemed like hours, Raiden, Jax, and Johnny had finally found their kidnapped ally. It was a hard trial with their encounters with a strict lady in a green, grotesque jailmen, and a Shokan, but it was worth it. Besides, what could have possibly gone wrong when they were literally working with a god?

As they were about to go look for Liu Kang and Kung Lao, Sonya's wrist communicator started beeping. She held up her arm so the others could see what appeared on the device's screen.

"That's weird. I've got two sets of readings, heavy tech signals, both of 'em."

Raiden crossed his arms and looked up from the screen.

"Technology… then they cannot be of Outworld. We need to confront the source of each signal. We might discover the one whose victory I must insure. Perhaps…"

_If you truly desire to stop Armageddon, Liu Kang is not the answer. The answer you seek has yet to show itself._

The thunder god thought back to his last vision. If Liu Kang is not he-who-must-win, then who? Could one of those signals be the champion Raiden has been praying for?

"Raiden…"

Raiden had not even realized he had zoned out and now his three comrades were staring at him in concern. He shook his head.

"It is nothing. We should separate and find the two signatures."

"Wait…"

Johnny Cage looked at the thunder god with an incredulous look on his face.

"What about us? What are we? Chopped liver?"

Raiden frowned at Johnny, not in anger but he was considering what the actor was saying. Cage, however, thought he had struck one of the god's nerves.

"…What?"

"Perhaps you are right, Johnny Cage."

Okay, that surprised Johnny, as well as Jax and Sonya. They did not think Raiden would actually say that Johnny was right about something. Raiden continued.

"You will stay close to me."

"Great, I…"

"Close as a shadow, and twice as silent."

Now that was better. Johnny did feel insulted by Raiden's suggestion, but Jax and Sonya were very amused. After a moment, Jax spoke up.

"Sonya, you're with me. Keepin' my eye on you."

Sonya laughed at her partner's overprotectiveness and nodded her head in agreement. Jax then looked at the screen again and addressed Raiden.

"Raiden, looks like you'll wanna teleport yourself thirty klicks that way."

The thunder god nodded and placed his hand on Cage's shoulder. Just as Raiden was ready to teleport, Johnny looked at Sonya and Jax and wished them luck.

"Hey, you guys be careful. Big guy, you make sure you protect the damsel in distress."

"Whatever, Cage. And don't call me "Big guy.""

"Yeah. And don't call me a "damsel in distress." I could whoop your ass if I wanted to."

Johnny laughed and adjusted his shades.

"Could you? As I recall, I owned you back on Shang Tsung's island."

"Oh, so you're going to brag about beating a woman. I thought you were gentleman, Cage."

"I didn't beat any woman. You're something else, Ms. Blade."

Before the blonde could respond, Raiden had teleported Johnny and himself out of the Deadpool, leaving Sonya and Jax by themselves. They looked at each other, nodded, and then made their own way out the sewer with determination in their eyes. They had a mission and they were not going to stop until it completed. Just like any good soldier.

Back in the armory, Jade had finally regained consciousness from her battle with one of Raiden's warriors. She struggled to get up from the floor, bruises engulfing her body. The green-clad assassin winced as she held her stomach, where a big purple bruise had formed. The Earthrealmer really did not hold back, even though she was a woman. Jade felt a tiny ounce of respect for the Special Forces member for that.

The Edenian flipped her long ponytail back behind her as she got to her feet and looked around. The Earthrealmers were gone. She let them get away. If the emperor found out about her failure, Jade was sure to be punished. Or even killed for allowing Raiden and his champions to roam free around the palace.

"Are you in need of assistance?"

Jade whipped her head around when she heard the voice. It echoed throughout the armory. Black boots stomped on the hard floor as their owner walked up to the Edenian. A smirk was plastered on the newcomer's pale face and he had his black-gloved hands clasped behind his back. Jade scoffed at the man's question.

"I can take of myself, thank you. I do not need you or your sorcery, Quan Chi."

The pale man laughed at Jade's response.

"As you wish. I was only being polite, being that I am a guest of the emperor."

"That may be, but I must voice my distrust towards you, sorcerer. My emperor holds you in high regard and I do not question his decisions. Yet, the Netherrealm is known for betrayal."

"As is Outworld. But currently, we share a common enemy and in order to defeat that enemy, Outworld and the Netherrealm must cooperate. I have no intention of betraying your emperor."

"I will take your words into consideration."

Jade then tried to walk past Quan Chi, but she fell to her knees before she could make it even a foot away. Even though the woman was in pain, Jade would not admit that to the Netherrealm sorcerer. She suddenly felt a cold hand settle on her shoulder. The Edenian looked up and Quan Chi's face was only inches from her's. It definitely made Jade uncomfortable and the devious grin he had did not make the situation better.

"My, my."

The sorcerer started to rub his hand up and down her arm. The coldness of his hand made Jade shiver.

"Edenian women were known all through the realms for their beauty. As attractive as they were, their beauty could rival that of goddesses. Seeing one of them up close…"

Quan Chi grabbed Jade's hair and yanked her from the ground. He then leaned his head by the Edenian's ear and whispered into it.

"It is an such a pleasure. You would do well in the Netherrealm by my side. I would treat you like the goddess you are."

Jade gasped as a green energy pulsated from Quan Chi into her. At first, she panicked, thinking that the sorcerer was trying to kill her with his magic. But all of a sudden, a surprisingly soothing feeling overwhelmed the woman for a moment. She closed her eyes, lost in the aura, but as soon as it came, the energy was gone. Slowly, her eyes opened and she almost forgot about Quan Chi. Almost.

As soon as she regained her composure, Jade's eyes widen and she pushed the pale man away from her. Immediately, the assassin summoner her staff and pointed it at Quan Chi.

"How dare you think you have the right to lay your filthy hands on me?"

"It was necessary for me to heal you. I would think you would be a bit more appreciative of my service."

Jade frowned and realized how energized she felt, as though she had never gotten into her earlier brawl with Jax. She looked over her body and saw that the bruises were gone and she was able to stand on her own.

"Why?"

"Because now you are in debt to me."

"I owe you nothing. I did not ask you for your help."

"But you received it, nevertheless. I only ask one favor of you. It is nothing that requires any serious labor, I promise."

Jade thought about it for a moment. She really did not owe the sorcerer anything, but at the moment, he and the emperor were partners. In a way, Quan Chi had authority here in Outworld, meaning he had authority over her. He probably had permission from Shao Kahn to give out order to his minions.

"… What do you want?"

"I know the emperor has informed you of some uninvited guests in his domain. I believe I know who these intruders are."

"Is that so? Have you informed the emperor of this?"

"Not yet."

"Then you are withholding important information from my lord that could be of use to us. These Earthrealmers could possibly become champions of Raiden if they happen to cross paths. This is what the emperor is trying to avoid."

"I know and I am not withholding anything. I do plan on telling Shao Kahn what I know, but this information only came to me a short while ago from a valid source."

"And that source is?"

"Do not worry, they are no threat to Outworld. You may know them as the Lin Kuei."

Jade did remember the infamous clan of assassins. Three had entered the last tournament and she recalled one was killed by a servant of Quan Chi.

"You and the Lin Kuei are working together?"

"Not at all. You see, after the incident with Sub-zero, I had a feeling the Lin Kuei would be a bit… cautious of the Netherrealm."

"I would think so."

"Indeed. So, I sent one of my warriors to gather information from the Lin Kuei temple. He was a former member of the clan before his death and he remembered the location of the temple. He overheard that two ninjas had defected from the clan and had escaped. Both have superhuman abilities and one is the brother of Sub-zero."

"You think these Earthrealmers are here for revenge? That they heard that the Mortal Kombat tournament would be held in Outworld and believe that Scorpion has entered again?"

"It is possible."

"Alright. And what of the other warrior?"

"Not much is known about him, but my spy claims that he is extremely dangerous and has the ability to control smoke."

"I have never heard of such an ability. Are you sure your spy was not mistaken?"

"I assure you his information is correct."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Is it honestly that hard to believe?"

Now that Jade thought about it, was it hard to believe that there was a man out there that with smoke-wielding abilities?

"…No."

"Then, please, do not question the credibility of my men again. I consider it an insult that you would think that I would have such useless minions serving me."

"Just get to the point. What does this favor of yours have to do with these ninjas?"

"It is simple. If you cross paths with the one with smoke abilities, do not engage him."

"I have orders from the emperor to dispose of them immediately if I see them."

"And once give him the same information I have given you, I shall ask the emperor to approve of my request."

"There is no guarantee that he will. I will be punished for disobeying him."

"You will not. And if Shao Kahn does decide to punish you, I will not allow it."

Quan Chi reached for Jade's chin, but she shoed him away. Again, he just laughed. That only angered the Edenian even more. Right now, all she wanted to do was get away from the sorcerer.

"… Fine. But if he attacks me, I will fight back and I will fight to the death."

"Ha, ha, ha. Fair enough. I knew we could compromise."

"Good. Now if you will excuse me…"

Jade turned around and walked to the armory's exit. Before she opened the doors, Quan Chi grabbed her arm. He held her firmly, but not enough to actually hurt her.

"Do think about what I said, Jade. You do not deserve to be in the princess' shadow for all your life. You could be so much more."

"Kitana is my friend and I will not allow you to speak poorly of her."

The woman pulled her arm from Quan Chi grasp and stomped out of the armory. The sorcerer again clasped his hands behind him and continued smiling.

"Why worry about someone who will meet their end soon?"


	15. Chapter Fourteen: The Path of a Brother

**Chapter Fourteen: The Path of a Brother**

Coming into the Wasteland, Smoke and Tundra, now in proper fighting outfits, looked around at their surroundings. It surprised the two warriors that Li Mei was able to make their new clothes in the short time they were there. Perhaps some magic was involved since they now knew the woman had superhuman abilities. Smoke's outfit was all black and consisted of armor on his upper body and legs with gauntlets on his arms. He also had a black mask and cowl that covered his head to show only his eyes and a black loincloth.

Tundra's attire was black and blue with silver garments on his upper arms, belt, and above his tabi boots and he also had gauntlets, like Tomas. He wore a blue loincloth and had a cowl and a blue mask to match. The clothes reminded him of his brother, even though they both wore similar outfits to go with their codenames and abilities. Much like Smoke wore black or gray because of his power over smoke and Cyrax wore yellow because of his weapons. The Lin Kuei were so original.

As the ninjas walked along the beach, they noticed how the air smelled of burning flesh and the water was polluted. Bodies of dead soldiers were put into a huge pile and some were littered across the coastline with blood reddening the sand. There was even a temple that was on fire in the distance. As much as Smoke and Tundra saw death in their missions for the Lin Kuei, the terrible sight did not phase them.

"Smoke?"

Tomas stopped when his friend called his name. He turned around to face the cryomancer.

"Yes, my friend?"

"… I have been thinking about this ever since we left the Lin Kuei temple and I believe now is the right time to do so."

"What do are you talking about?"

"In honor of my brother, I will take up his mantle as Sub-zero."

For a minute, Smoke said nothing and that worried Tundra. Did he say something wrong? He opened his mouth to speak again, but Tomas held up his hand to stop him.

"… Are you sure that this is what you want to do?"

"Of course. I want to defeat Scorpion as Sub-zero, not Tundra. I believe Bi-han would have wanted it that way."

"I am asking if you want to do this, not Bi-han."

"Smoke, what are you trying to say?"

Tomas sighed. He was not sure how to put his recent thoughts into words. He did not want to anger Kuai.

"I am saying that… I understand that you looked up to Bi-han all your life and you have strived to be like him, but…"

The gray ninja shook his head. He needed to get his thoughts straight.

"You will never be like Bi-han, Kuai."

"What?"

That was the wrong thing to say.

"I do not mean it like that. It is just…"

"So you are saying that I will never be as good a warrior as Bi-han? That I will forever be second to him!?"

"No! I am saying that… You are Kuai and Bi-han is Bi-han. You two are completely different people and you think differently, but you always think as your brother does because you always think he is right."

"My brother was an exceptional warrior and he came to be so because of the way he thought."

"I know, I know. But you could be so much better if you just… thought for yourself for once. Stop thinking about what Bi-han would do and think about what YOU want to do!"

Kuai scoffed. Tomas just threw his hands in the air, aggravated. Perfect time to bring this up when they are literally about to face off against a dangerous sorcerer and possibly the emperor himself if they crossed paths. This was no time to be angry with each other. The two looked away from each other and stood in silence for a good minute or so.

"You are saying I do not think for myself?"

Smoke let out a deep breath and nodded. Tundra crossed his arms and kept his eyes on the ground.

"You are right."

A small gasp escaped from Tomas' mouth. He did not expect that from the cryomanced.

"… What?"

"I said you are right. Ever since Bi-han was named Sub-zero, I was immediately put in his shadow. Even the Grandmaster did not think that I could become as great a fighter as my brother. I suppose he was right as well."

"Kuai…"

"No. He was right. I tried so hard to be like Bi-han. I never realized that that way of thinking was holding me back. I could have done much more. I could have…"

Tundra lifted his hands up and clenched them into fists. Smoke did not realized until now that his comrade blamed himself for his brother's murder. Maybe if he was stronger, the Grandmaster would have sent the cryomancer to the tournament as well and he could have done something to save Bi-han. The one time his brother needed him and he was not there. Tomas put his hand on Kuai's shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

"Kuai, I had no idea that you felt this way. I am sorry for not realizing it sooner."

"I did not want you to. It is my burden to bear."

"No, it is not. You cannot blame yourself for what happened. It was not your fault."

Tundra continued to look away from his friend, but Smoke grabbed the cryomancer's shoulders and forced him to look up.

"Listen, Kuai. I am not going to let you do this to yourself. You may think you know Bi-han better than anyone, but I know that he would say the same things that I am saying to you now. The person responsible for Sub-zero's death is here, but that person is not you. When we find Scorpion, we will make him pay for what he has done."

"But now I am not so sure that I will be able to defeat the specter. He came back from the dead for revenge and Bo Rai Cho even said that his rage makes him stronger."

"His rage will also be his downfall. We can use it to our advantage."

"But if he was able to defeat my brother, then…"

"I told you, you are not Bi-han. Do not limit yourself."

Even though the cryomancer was wearing a mask, Smoke could tell that Tundra was smiling underneath it.

"Why do you always have to be so optimistic?"

"It is not optimism. I truly believe that we will accomplish our goal and you should too."

"So if I just believe, I can do anything."

"Ha, ha. You do not need to be sarcastic."

"You are right. That is your job."

"Yes, it is."

The two friends laughed and for a second, they forgot about their current mission. They savored the moment for it may very well be the last time they could laugh like this.

"Are you alright now?"

Tundra nodded and unclenched his fists. It felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Yes. Thank you, Tomas."

"Anytime. I told you, anytime you want to talk, I am always here to listen."

"I know and I should have talked to you back at the temple. If we were to encounter Scorpion, I would not have been in the right state of mind. I am sorry."

"Apology accepted, not that there was any need for one. You were grieving and I understood that you needed time alone."

Finally, Smoke let go of Tundra, but not before patting the cryomancer on his back a few times.

"So, are you ready to move on?"

"Yes, but I stand by what I said earlier. I still am going to take the name Sub-zero."

"As you wish. Although, assuming your brother's identity will draw attention. Not all of it welcome."

"You are right, Smoke, but assuming Bi-han's identity is the best way to honor him."

"Let us proceed then… Sub-zero."

For some reason, the name felt right to Kuai. Like it belonged to him all this time. Tundra was no more. In his place, Sub-zero will be the one to finish off Scorpion just as he should have in Mortal Kombat. Determination was in his eyes and he was ready to take on any challenges that stood in his way.

"We should separate."

"Do you think that is a good idea?"

"It is extremely likely that are presence in Outworld is known to not only the emperor, but the Lin Kuei as well. If either of them find our location, it would be better if one of us gets caught than the both of us. At least one of us should escape their wrath or all our efforts will be for nothing. Besides, we can cover more ground and find Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, or Scorpion faster. We are bound to run into one of them."

"You have a good point. I just wish we did not have to go through all this trouble just to find one person."

"You always were lazy."

"Hey, I am not lazy! I am only saying that it is taking a lot of effort to find one person. At least the Lin Kuei gave us intel on our targets beforehand."

"I agree. Now, we are in unfamiliar territory. Even if we do manage to get inside the palace, we have no idea of its layout. The sorcerers or Scorpion could be anywhere and we would not know it until they have a knife to our throats."

As much as they hated to admit it, the two ninjas were prepared for this journey. Of course, their decision to come to Outworld was made in the heat of the moment. There was no proper planning before leaving the Lin Kuei temple. If Bi-han or Cyrax were here, they would probably scold Tomas and Kuai for that. Not that it was their faults.

"We will find them, Kuai. They will pay."

"Right. If I get my hands on Scorpion, he will die. I swear it."

When Sub-zero started walking past him, Smoke called out to the cryomancer.

"Sub-zero!"

"Yes?"

"… Be careful, alright? I cannot always be there to save you, you know."

"Ah, yes. My knight in shining armor. Please, I'd rather be taken than to be rescued by you. I will never hear the end of it."

Tomas laughed, but deep down, he feared for his friend's life. He knew Kuai could take care of himself, yet Smoke could not shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. He hoped it was all just paranoia. Sub-zero nodded to his friend and then left the beach and Smoke watched him as he departed. Once Kuai was out of sight, an annoying pain shot through his head. The pain has definitely dampened after the gray ninja's last talk with his mind friend.

_"You did the right thing, Tomas. Kuai needed to hear that."_

"I was wondering when I would hear from you again, Pyros."

_"What? Did you miss me?"_

Smoke scoffed at the telepath.

"Not a chance. But is everything alright? Nothing to worry about in my head, right?"

_"Nothing to worry about. I told you I would handle it."_

"I admit, I had my doubts."

_"I would have been concerned if you did not. It is good to be cautious, especially with something as precious as one's own mind."_

"I could not agree more."

_"Good. Now we should… oh, dear."_

"What is it?"

_"Someone is approaching. Be ready."_

"Who is this pe…"

"The emperor was wise to send me here."

Smoke turned around to see who the voice belonged to. A woman in a revealing blue outfit was walking towards him. She did not seem the least bit intimidated by Tomas.

"The Lin Kuei do walk uninvited in his realm."

So, the emperor did know that they were Lin Kuei. Now all of Outworld was probably on high alert.

"Wise though your emperor might be, he was foolish to send his housemaid to interfere with Lin Kuei business."

He did not care the she was a female, but Tomas wanted her to think that he did. Back in Earthrealm, most woman are belittled because of their gender, especially in the Lin Kuei. The only women their were housemaids and nurses, no fighters. There has never been a female Lin Kuei member and at first, Smoke wondered why. He himself has seen what women can do and he knows they are capable of being just as good a warrior as men. The Grandmaster, however, did not see things in his perspective. Looking at the woman, Tomas knew he had angered her.

"I am Kitana, Princess of Outworld! And I deal harshly with sharp-tongued intruders!"

She was Shao Kahn's daughter? Despite knowing this, Smoke could not help but feel a bit of excitement. If she truly was the princess, maybe she would put up a good fight after all.


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Fire with Fire

**Hey guys. I just wanted to make something clear for the rest of the story. I am italicizing thoughts so it will be clear whether Pyros is talking in Smoke's head or in person. Also, I am using bold letters for the "other" voice that is making itself apparent in Smoke's mind. I did not do this in past chapters and I feel as though it may have confused a few people. Sorry about that. Anyways, on with the chapter. **

**Chapter Fifteen: Fire with Fire**

Kitana unfurled her fans and quickly threw them towards Smoke. He managed to dodge the projectiles just before they touched him, but Tomas soon realized that they were a distraction. The ninja held up his arm just in time to block an attack from behind.

_She can teleport!_

Indeed, the princess had reappeared behind Smoke and was now delivering strike after strike with the occasional use of her fans. Tomas has heard of fighters using a fan as a weapon, but he has never actually seen such people in real life. He also did not think that fans could be a deadly tool. Guess he was wrong. Kitana swung her leg up to hit his head and Smoke immediately ducked to avoid the attack. He countered by sweeping the princess' feet from under her. Luckily, the sand cushioned her fall. However, it did not cushion the foot that stomped on her stomach.

"Stay down, princess. I do not want to fight you."

"How dare you? You will learn respect!"

Kitana unfurled two more fans, and waved them around the air while speaking some incoherent gibberish. Smoke suddenly felt lighter and was being lifted off the ground by the blue aura the fans produced. The princess got back up to her feet and used her fans to propel herself upwards. She then thrusted her body to where Tomas was floating and struck him hard in his chest. The ninja fell hard onto the ground with a grunt. Kitana landed as well and held one of her fans out in front her, ready to strike again.

"I am no housemaid, ninja. I am superior to you."

Smoke was on his knees and he had his head down panting. She really was not a housemaid, that was for sure. A whizzing sound made Tomas' head jolt up just in time to see another projectile being thrown at him. Kitana smiled under her mask thinking that her opponent could not possibly dodge the fan in time. His head was a good as gone. However, the princess' smile quickly faded once smoke clouded her vision.

If not for the mask, Kitana would have suffered a coughing fit, but she could not see anything. She realized too late that her target had disappeared and as she looked around to try and locate him, Smoke reappeared above her. He grabbed the side of Kitana's head and slammed it into the ground. Again, the princess was pinned down.

"Two can play at that game, princess. Your teleportation will not catch me off guard again. Just surrender and I will let you go."

Her voice was muffled, but Tomas could practically feel the malice that leaked from Kitana as she spoke.

"Earthrealmers… why won't you just die!?"

With incredible force, Kitana threw Smoke off of her, which caused the ninja to lose his footing for a minute. That was just enough time for the princess to land a punch on Tomas' face. She followed the strike with a flurry of kicks and slashes from her fans. Smoke barely avoided the attacks unscathed. Finally, the gray ninja had enough and as Kitana threw another punch, he grabbed her fist. She tried again with her other hand and Smoke caught that one as well. The princess struggled to escape Tomas' grasp, but it was no use.

"I tried to settle this peacefully, but you will not listen to reason."

Smoke added pressure on Kitana's fists, causing the princess to yelp in pain. She imagined this is what it was like to be on the other end of her father's hammer. It hurt that bad, but her opponent would not let up. The pain drove Kitana to her knees and she gritted her teeth to keep from shouting again. It would make her look weak.

"So, allow me to be the one to end this fight."

Kitana's eyes widen at the deep voice. She slowly looked up and for a split second, she could have sworn she saw the ninja's eyes turn red. Involuntarily, the princess started to tremble and stopped struggling against Tomas. Why was she so scared all sudden? The sight of Kitana's frightened eyes made Smoke's own eyes widen. He realized just how much he was hurting her and in some sick way, he was… loving it?

**"Kill her."**

Smoke gasped as a terrible pain shot through his head. Was Pyros trying to communicate with him? No. No, this was different. And not in a good way. Before the pain overwhelmed him, Tomas decided to end this battle before he did something he would regret. While still holding the scared princess, Smoke struck his knee under her chin, sending Kitana flying a few feet from him. She crashed into the sand and immediately fell unconscious from the impact of Tomas' attack.

Smoke grabbed his head with his hands and clenched his teeth together. He closed his eyes, and it was at that moment that he felt it. That dark power he felt back in Zhu Zin. Tomas was beginning to remember what happened. The rage he felt towards Oniro, the incredible strength he had… and the voice. The horrible voice that wanted Smoke to kill his former Grandmaster.

"What… are you?"

_"Tomas, can you hear me!?"_

The pain immediately dispersed as soon as Tomas heard Pyros' voice. The ninja breathed a sigh of relief.

"Pyros, is that really you?"

_"Of course. Who else could it be?"_

"I… I do not know."

_"It is alright, Tomas. I am here. What happened?"_

"… I do not know."

Tomas looked over at Kitana, who was still unconscious on the ground. He walked to her side and made sure she was still breathing. Even if the princess tried to kill him, Smoke did not want her dead. He may be an assassin, but he had morals. Tomas released a breath he did not realize he had been holding when he saw the woman's chest going up and down.

"Good. She is still alive."

_"You did not plan on killing her, did you?"_

"No, not unless I was forced to. If I did, would that have been a problem?"

_"Honestly, yes, it would have been."_

"How so?"

_"Soon, you will realize how. But now is not the time for that. I sense someone's presence in the forest. I believe it is Shang Tsung."_

"Really? At least he was not as hard to find as we thought he would be."

_"Yes, but be careful. He is not alone."_

Smoke nodded, and with one last glance at Kitana, he sets out to the Living Forest. He will talk to Pyros about the other voice later. Hopefully, it would not show up again.

"Sleep well, princess."

As he entered the forest, Smoke quickly became aware of the living trees that resided there. They had huge mouths and eyes and the vines that hung from them were alive as well. Some even had people entangled within the vines. It was obvious that Tomas should keep his distance.

"This must be the Living Forest. I remember Li Mei mentioning this place before Kuai and I left Sun Do."

An explosion caught the ninja's attention from the greenery. He immediately hid behind one of the few "normal" trees and slowly peeked around it. There, shooting an RPG Launcher, was Kano. And the one who stood beside him was none other than the emperor's right hand. Shang Tsung. They were playing with military weapons as though they were toys.

"They you are, sorcerer."

As the Black Dragon's leader reloaded the launcher, he laughed and spoke to his companion.

"With a whole army totin' these, no one in Outworld of Earthrealm could stand up to you."

Shang Tsung picked up another launcher and examined it.

"Well done. You may tell your fellow Black Dragon that I am very interested in your merchandise."

Kano shoots another RPG and Smoke takes that as his cue to make his presence known. He started to walk into the clearing, but Pyros stopped him.

_"Wait… I believe I have an idea."_

"Please, do tell."

_"I am being serious, young one. I want to see how far your abilities can grow."_

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

Pyros suddenly went silent and Tomas thought that he had went away. After a second, the telepath spoke again.

_"Have you ever tried to create an explosion?"_

"You mean like my smoke bombs?

_"Well, yes, but I mean a real explosion. With a lot more fire and destruction."_

"No. It is not like I can."

_"You just told Kuai not limit himself. Take your own advice."_

Tomas paused and looked back to Shang Tsung and Kano, who was opening another box of RPGs. How many was the Australian planning to practice with? The ninja sighed.

"…Fine. What do I need to do?"

_"Just create one of your smoke bombs, but this time, make it INSIDE the RPG. It should detonate prematurely when Kano pulls the trigger."_

"That man's name is Kano?"

_"Yes. He is the leader of the Black Dragon clan and it seems that he is trying to make a business deal with Shang Tsung with weapons. But that does not matter. Right now, the sorcerer is your concern."_

"Right."

Smoke closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He has never done something like this before and doubted that this would work. But he did as he was told and began making a smoke bomb. Tomas was not even sure what the inside of an RPG looked like, but it should not matter. Smoke can conform to any container, so his bomb should be able to do the same. Unconsciously, the ninja moved his hands around as though he was creating the smoke bomb in them like usual.

"This is just an appetizer, mate. Wait'll you see our whole warehouse of…"

Kano pulled the trigger on the launcher, and just as Pyros predicted, the grenade exploded while it was still in the weapon. Smoke opened his eyes and he jumped from the deafening sound. The explosion had thrown the Australian and Shang Tsung in opposite directions and set the whole area aflame. The telepath's idea had actually worked.

"I… did that?"

_"Excellent! I knew you could do it, my boy!"_

Tomas looked down at his hands. Never in his life would he have thought he was capable of doing something like that. He could not imagine what else he could do with his powers.

_"Tomas, hurry! Before the sorcerer escapes!"_

In his amazement, Smoke had completely forgotten about Shang Tsung. The ninja quickly teleported to where the sorcerer had landed. Shang Tsung was slowly get up from the ground and he had just gotten to his knees before the ninja grabbed him by the back of his collar and hoisted him up.

"Now you at my mercy, sorcerer."

Again, Tomas teleported, but Shang Tsung in tow. He was not concerned about Kano and whether or not he survived the explosion. Unfortunately, he did, but he was badly injured and unconscious. It was a miracle the Australian did not lose a limb. Kano, however, was not the one Smoke had to worry about, but the creature that had been lurking in the shadows and saw that Shang Tsung had been kidnapped. Even though the ninja had teleported, the creature caught his scent a good distance away. Silently, it went to follow the smell.

In another part of the Living Forest, Smoke kept his grip on the collar of his prisoner's shirt and shoved him against a tree. Shang Tsung was not terribly injured by the blast, but he was still weakened by it. It would take some time before he was completely healed.

"I must say, I was not expecting that explosion. I underestimated you, Lin Kuei."

"So, you know who I am. Does that mean you also know what I want from you?"

"I suppose you want revenge for your fallen comrade. I was not responsible for his death."

"No, but you were the one who invited the Lin Kuei to participate in Mortal Kombat. Why?"

"That was not my decision. The emperor believed your clan could provide a decent amount of entertainment in the tournament and he wanted to see what the Lin Kuei had to offer. It seems Oniro's warriors are not as powerful as we were led to believe."

Smoke punched the sorcerer in his face for his remark.

"I did not ask for your opinion."

"Heh, heh. I do not need your permission, ninja."

"You speak boldly for someone who is overpowered and will possibly die before the end of the day."

"Now why would you think that?"

Tomas was about to ask what Shang Tsung meant, but he suddenly felt someone's presence behind him. He looked back just in time to see a ball of acid heading towards him and he quickly jumped out of the way, but he lost his grip on the sorcerer. Shang Tsung slid to the ground and the acid hit the spot on the tree where his head was. It created a hole that burned halfway through the tree.

Smoke looked back at tree and saw that Shang Tsung had disappeared. Where could he have gone to in his weakened state so quickly? And where had those acid ball come from? The ninja looked all round, but could not see his attacker. Two more acid balls came at him and Tomas rolled out of their way. Whoever it was assaulting, they were difficult to track.

"Despite his failure at my tournament…"

Tomas froze. That voice… it could not be. But there he was, just standing a few feet from Smoke.

"What?"

In the flesh, it was Sub-zero. But Smoke remembered that Shang Tsung could shapeshift. He was not fooled by the sorcerer's disguise. The imposter pointed a finger at Tomas.

"I'll wager he was more powerful than you, Lin Kuei."

"Assuming his form will not give you his skills, shapeshifter."

Behind Sub-zero, a hideous green creature appeared and snarled at Smoke. He must have been the one who was throwing those acid balls. And to make matters worse, he could turn invisible. This battle was not in Tomas' favor, but he was not about to lose. He could not afford to. The ninja got into his fighting stance and prepared for battle.

"Let us see if smoke can freeze!"


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Against All Odds

**Chapter Sixteen: Against All Odds**

Shang Tsung, now Sub-zero, slammed his hand into the ground and summoned a trail of ice spikes that made their way to Smoke. The black-cladded ninja teleported away and reappeared behind the imposter with his fist pulled back, ready to throw a punch. His attack never reached Sub-zero before Reptile appeared in front of him to block Tomas. The creature may be ugly, but he was fast. Reptile kicked the ninja back and took off his mask to spit another acid ball. Smoke dodged it and countered with a smoke cloud. He threw it at Reptile and the Saurian vanished and reappeared in the air behind Tomas, who jumped up and slammed Reptile into the ground.

Just as he landed, Sub-zero used the opportunity to throw an ice ball, which froze Tomas in place. He then grabbed the incapacitated ninja and hurled him into a tree. The impact freed Smoke of his icy prison, but as he hit the ground, he landed right in front of the mouth of a living tree. It moaned and attempted to use the vines that hung from its branches to grab the ninja. Even though he was still disoriented from his fall, Smoke teleported just before the vines reached him.

Reptile was on one knee with his hand on his head. Shaking off his dizziness, the Saurian felt a presence behind him and blocked another attack from Tomas. Sub-zero readied another ice ball while the other two exchanged blows. Once his projectile was charged, the shapeshifter sent a beam of ice in Tomas' direction while the ninja had his back turned. Smoke glanced back for a second to see the ice ball coming at him and at the last second, he disappeared and the ball froze Reptile instead. The ninja went behind the frozen creature and hurled his body to Sub-zero. The cryomancer's eyes widen just as Reptile came flying into him and chunks of ice flew when the Saurian was freed from the ice.

The ground beneath the two became ice and Sub-zero and Reptile were sucked into it. Smoke knew that trick. Bi-han had used it on him countless times. Beneath him, ice began to form and Tomas jumped into the air to avoid it. His opponents came out of the ice and jumped after the ninja.

Sub-zero formed a Kori blade in his hand and swung it at Smoke as the two settled on the ground. The shapeshifter continued to swing the ice sword, and after Tomas dodged a few of Sub-zero's attacks, he stooped to one knee and grabbed the end of the blade. The ninja held the weapon between his hands and Sub-zero tried to push against Smoke so he could cut down on his head. As the cryomancer struggled, Tomas started emitting heat from his hands and the Kori blade began to melt. The sword became water in Sub-zero's hands and he fell forward, giving Smoke the chance to uppercut him right into a tree.

While Smoke was catching his breath, Reptile charged at him from behind, not realizing that the ninja already knew that the Saurian was coming. At the last second, just as Reptile rip his mask off again to spit out more acid, Tomas created a small smoke bomb in his hand and turned to thrust the bomb into Reptile's mouth. It exploded and the creature started coughing vigorously. Blood ran from his nose and he began heaving up the red liquid as well. The Saurian fell to his knees with his hand over his throat and shook his head continuously to clear the smoke away. One opponent down, it seems.

Smoke looked back to the tree where Sub-zero was holding his chin with his eyes squeezed shut in pain. He opened his eyes for a moment to see Tomas walking towards him and behind the ninja, Reptile fell face-first into the ground. He presumed the Saurian was dead. With a sigh, a strange green mist surrounded Sub-zero, and when it cleared, Shang Tsung was in his normal form.

"Now answer me!"

The sorcerer's head jerked up when Smoke addressed him. He scowled at the ninja and remained silent.

"What do you know of Scorpion, sorcerer!?"

Still, Shang Tsung gave no response. Aggravated, Smoke stomped up to the sorcerer and lifted him off the ground by his collar. Tomas again pinned him against a tree.

"Look. My patience has run thin and I am extremely close to just running a knife straight through your heart. But I will not have to do that if you just tell me what I want to know. Where. Is. Scorpion?"

Shang Tsung opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly, his eyes narrowed as though he was examining Smoke. The ninja was a bit uncomfortable with the sorcerer's staring.

"What?"

A smile slowly crept onto Shang Tsung's face. He then started laughing.

"As much as it disgusts me to admit it, he was right."

"Who was right? What are you talking ab…"

An invisible force hits Smoke on his cheek, jerking his head to the side.

"What?"

Smoke was then punched in the gut, which caused him to drop Shang Tsung. The sorcerer teleported Reptile and himself away while the ninja was being pummeled by an invisible attacker. Tomas started stumbling backwards from the force of the punches, but he was soon stopped when he felt something grabbed his arms. Two gray cyborgs suddenly appeared on each side of Smoke holding his arms to keep him in place . Before he had the chance to struggle, more robots showed up and surrounded the ninja. They held up their hands and emitted some sort of green pulse charge to restrain Tomas. Smoke started shouting in pain and tried to throw the cyber-ninjas off of him, but it was no use. The Lin Kuei has found him and they were going to take Smoke back to the temple. And there was nothing he could do about it.

**"What are you doing!?"**

Oh, gods. The voice was back. Tomas' head felt like it was splitting in two as it spoke.

"Get…out."

**"You are just going to stand there and throw your life away!? Pathetic."**

"Shut up."

**"No. I have been silent for far too long! I will no longer be a prisoner within your mind and body."**

The pain in his head and through his body from the charges was too much for Smoke. He dropped to his knees and closed his eyes, waiting for the cyborgs to take him away. If it would end this torment, the ninja would gladly let his former comrades whisk him back to China. Of course, Tomas did not really mean that, but what could he do?

Somewhere nearby, lightning struck down and from it, Lord Raiden and Johnny Cage appeared. The thunder god went still as he sensed an unknown power.

" There is great energy nearby."

Cage grabbed Raiden's shoulder and pointed.

"Um… Rai-dude…"

The god looked in the direction Johnny had pointed, and he saw the cyborgs and the green energy that pulsated from them. They seemed to be surrounding something and when he narrowed his eyes to get a closer look at the scene, Raiden saw Smoke. He was still on his knees and it looked like he was in pain. There was something else too. Some other presence that Raiden could not place. Whatever or whoever it was, the god had no time to think about it before another vision began.

It showed the same warrior Raiden saw with those robots, but he has been turned into a cyborg as well. Unlike the other visions, however, something like static clouded Raiden's sight, and then it became pitch black. Complete nothingness. After what felt like an eternity, a huge, clawed hand jumped out at the god.

**"Stay away!"**

With a jolt, Raiden was brought back to reality and he grabbed Johnny's shoulder to steady himself. His eyes were wide and his hands were shaking. That thing… what was it? Another cry from Smoke tore Raiden away from his thoughts and the thunder god scowled.

"They must not take him."

With a shout, Raiden released lightning bolts from his hands and shot them at the cyborgs. The green energy quickly dispersed as the cyber ninjas were electrocuted and Smoke gasped once he was free of his captives. His body felt numb, but Tomas was no worried about that right now. He looked as the robots shook and electricity sparked from them as their circuits were being fried. They all dropped to the ground destroyed and Smoke got to his feet.

As he got up, Raiden and Johnny Cage walked into the clearing to meet Smoke. The ninja immediately recognized the thunder god and figured the half-naked man that accompanied him was named Johnny due to the tattoo on his chest. Something just told Tomas that the actor was full of himself. Anyway, Smoke crossed his arm over his chest and kneeled before Raiden.

"Thank you, Lord Raiden. I am called Smoke."

Raiden nodded and Tomas stood up. It was truly an honor to be in the presence of the thunder god. Although, he hated that the two of them met under such dire circumstances.

"I suppose it was your appearance in Outworld that caused Shao Kahn to stop the tournament for the time being."

"I apologize for my intrusion, Lord Raiden, but we had no choice."

""We?""

"Yes. I was traveling with my comrade, Sub-zero."

Johnny gasped when he heard the cryomancer's name.

"Sub-zero? Call me crazy with a K… but didn't we see him die?"

Good. It seemed that no one knows of Kuai's existence. Tomas wanted to keep it that way until they found Scorpion, but he figured it would be alright to tell Raiden.

"The Sub-zero who participated in the last tournament is not the same one I speak of. I am talking about his brother."

"Brother!? You mean there's another walking air conditioner around here?"

Cage could not see it, but Smoke was smiling at the actor's joke. Usually he was the one making ice and cold jokes about the cryomancer brothers, but Tomas had to admit that Johnny might have him beat.

"Those cyborgs you just destroyed were actually Lin Kuei. The Grandmaster intends to turn every Lin Kuei into a cyborg. Sub-zero and I could not allow ourselves to be transformed, so we defected from the clan."

"The Lin Kuei now know that you and your friend are in Outworld. If you join us, we can offer you protection from your former clan."

"Forgive me, but I am more concerned about my comrade right now. I do not have time to participate in the tournament."

" That may be so, but I have a feeling Sub-zero will be at the tournament as well. You both seek Scorpion, yes?"

Smoke was taken aback. Being a god, it should have been expected that Raiden knew why Tomas and Kuai were here, especially since he told the thunder god about Sub-zero's brother.

"So, he is here."

"Indeed. He should be in the Coliseum by now. I am sure that Sub-zero will be there, too. Join us, Smoke, and we can lead you right to him."

Tomas thought about Raiden's offer. Yes, the thunder god was trying to convince Smoke to fight in Mortal Kombat for Earthrealm's benefit. Yet, if the ninja became one of Raiden's champions, he and Sub-zero would definitely gain protection. And instead of breaking into Shao Kahn's territory, Tomas could walk right into the Coliseum with no problems at all. It would make finding Scorpion, as well as Kuai, a lot easier.

"…Then let us go. Sub-zero's soul depends on it."

Again, Raiden nodded and placed his hands on Smoke and Johnny's shoulders. The three disappeared as lightning surrounded them, and once they vanished, Shang Tsung stepped out of the shadows, fully healed. Standing beside him was the Netherrealm sorcerer, Quan Chi. Shang Tsung ran a hand along his beard and had a sinister smile on his face.

"I now see what why you are interested in that ninja. He did not disappoint."

Quan Chi smirked.

"Did you doubt me, Shang Tsung?"

"Yes, I did. For once, I am glad to admit that I was wrong. Now, what should we do?"

"Let him be. I want to see how the tournament turns out now that Raiden has his new warrior. He still has not shown us his true power."


	18. Chapter Seventeen: The Souls of Warriors

**Chapter Seventeen: The Souls of Warriors**

The real Sub-zero had somehow made his way to the Soul Chamber, where he was now freezing some unfortunate souls who got in his way. If they had just told the cryomancer what he wanted to know, he would have let them go. Maybe.

"A pity you could not have cooperated."

As he finished his handy work, Kuai thought about what Tomas was doing right now. He hoped his friend had made some progress on finding the sorcerers or Scorpion, but he was more worried about what was going on in Smoke's head. He was not dumb. Sub-zero has known Smoke for years and could tell that something was bothering his comrade. Whatever it was, Kuai was going to find out whether Tomas liked it or not, hopefully sometime soon.

Sub-zero was about to walk away before he heard footsteps coming his way. They sounded like metal clanking on the ground. The cryomancer already knew it was a cyborg even before it deactivated its camoflauge. Unlike the others though, this cyber ninja was yellow and had bright green eyes. Kuai clenched his fists as the robot approached him.

"You are ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation."

It was hard to hear with the metallic tone, but Sub-zero could have sworn he heard an accent behind the voice. It was… familiar.

"You may have a different design, but you will fall like your comrades before you."

"Do not resist capture, or I will be required to take you by force."

"You are welcome to try."

Sub-zero quickly summoned an ice ball and threw it at the cyborg, freezing it instantly. Cracks appeared on the ice and steam shot from them immediately. It melted the ice just enough for the robot to break out of its prison. Kuai was surprised that the cyber ninja broke out so fast. The Grandmaster must have upgraded his minions after the encounter in Zhu Zin.

"Safety disabled. Combat mode engaged."

The cyborg then sprinted to his opponent and hit Sub-zero square in his chest with the palm of its hand. The cryomancer was thrown backwards and landed harshly on his back with a grunt. As he sat up, Kuai placed a hand where the robot had struck him on the chest and took a deep breath.

"This cyborg may prove to be a problem."

Sub-zero got to his feet and got into his fight stance, leading the cyber to do the same. After a few seconds, the two charged at each other and Kuai covered his hands in ice like he did back in Zhu Zin. He threw a punch at his adversary, which was blocked and countered with a kick to the cryomancer's side. Kuai blocked that attack as well and the two ninjas continued to exchange and block blows. After a while, Sub-zero summoned a Kori blade to get the upper hand and swung it at the robot. Suddenly, the cyborg's hand transformed into a weapon of its own: a buzz saw.

The two weapons clashed and their owners pushed against each other. While Sub-zero was distracted, the cyborg made another saw with his other hand and slashed it at the cryomancer to drive him back. Kuai did jump back to avoid the buzz saw and the robot threw a small yellow sphere right after him. Sub-zero's eyes widen when he realized what it was, but before he could react, the ball exploded and covered the area in a smoke screen. The cryomancer was greatly that it was not a explosive or else he would have lost a few limbs, if not his life. However, Kuai could not see a thing through the smoke, but the cyborg could very well see him.

Metallic hands reached from the fog and wrapped themselves around Sub-zero's neck. The ninja was thrown to the ground and the cyborg was on top of him using his weight to keep the other down. Kuai tried to pry his opponent's hands off of him, but they would not budge. The cyborg placed more pressure upon the cryomancer's throat the more he struggled and Sub-zero soon began to see black dots in his vision. He could not believe it. Kuai was about to lose this fight all because of a stupid little bomb that… Wait. The yellow bombs, the buzz saw… there was only one person Sub-zero knew that wielded those weapons in the Lin Kuei. Even though he was being choked, the cryomancer managed to speak.

"C..Cyrax?"

Once the cyborg heard the name, it paused. Like it was actually thinking for itself. Kuai thought he had broken through to his old comrade, but just as he opened his mouth to speak again, Cyrax started choking him again, this time with a lot more force.

"I am Lin Kuei Unit LK4D4."

Sub-zero gasped as he desperately struggled to breath. He had to do something before he lost consciousness. The cryomancer slowly removed his hands from the ones around his neck to make it look like he was giving up. Before the other realized what Sub-zero was doing, he had made an ice knife and stabbed it into the robot's arm, which made sparks fly from the wounded limb. Being a cyborg, Cyrax could not feel the pain, but his arm lost all function and it hung limply by Kuai's head giving the cryomancer the chance to pry the other robotic hand off of him easily.

Once he was free of Cyrax's death grip, Sub-zero kicked the machine off of him and scrambled to his feet. He rubbed his hand around his neck and coughed a few times before he looked over at the cyborg, who had pulled the knife out of his arm and tossed it to the side. It broke as soon as it hit the ground and immediately began to melt. The robot was still ready to fight again, even with its injured arm, but Kuai was not sure if he was ready to fight back.

Now that he knew that the cyborg was indeed Cyrax, Sub-zero could not bring himself to fight the Botswanan. Cyrax never intended for any of this to happen, but now he was paying for his mistakes. He should have never created that armor for the Grandmaster. He should have never allowed his loyalty to blind him of Oniro's true nature. Cyrax did not deserve to be transformed into… this. This mindless metal being who would never again be able to think or feel. He could never be human again.

But that does not mean that Sub-zero was not going to try to help his friend. Maybe it would help if Cyrax saw a familiar face. Slowly, Kuai took off his mask and cowl. Hopefully no one else was around to see his face.

"Cyrax? Cyrax, do you remember me?"

"I am Lin Kuei Unit LK4D4. You, Tundra, have been ordered to return to the Lin Kuei temple for assimilation."

"Stop calling yourself that! You have a name and it is Cyrax! Do you not remember your own name?"

"I am Lin Kuei Un…"

"STOP!"

A moment of silence passed between the two ninjas and surprisingly, neither one of them attacked during that silence. Sub-zero let out a breath.

"Please, my friend. Remember yourself. Remember me, remember us. My brother, Smoke, Hydro… you know who we are. And I know that you are suffering within that body. Oniro is giving you orders and it must be incredibly difficult to resist him. But you can overcome this. Fight it!"

"I am… I am…"

Cyrax could not finish his sentence. He knew what to say, but… something was telling him that he was wrong. He was programmed with the name LK4D4. Well, it really was not much of a name, but it was something, right? Something that identified as a being. Yet, his target was telling him otherwise. Who was this Cyrax? Was he someone important?

He was going to ponder on the subject more before a voice rang in his head. It was the Grandmaster.

"Unit LK4D4, you are to proceed to the Coliseum with Sektor. He will be in need of your assistance."

Kuai Liang did not know what was going on with the cyborg, but suddenly, Cyrax turned around and started walking away. He called out to the robot.

"Cyrax, wait!"

He did not know if Cyrax had heard him or had simply ignored his plea, but either way, Cyrax had activated his camoflauge and disappeared, leaving Sub-zero alone in the chamber.

"Dammit…"

He cursed under his breath. How could Kuai have let Cyrax go like that? He should have done more for the cyborg.

"The readings were getting stronger and now they're gone."

Sub-zero heard a voice coming from the entrance of the chamber. Someone was coming his way. He quickly put back on his mask and cowl before the newcomer could see his face. Appearing from the shadows, two figure in what seemed to be military attire were walking side by side. One was a big, African-American man with a bald head and the other was a blonde woman who was holding up her wrist for her comrade to see. They stopped a good distance away from Kuai still unaware of his presence.

"Are you sure the readings are accurate, Sonya?"

"Positive. I…"

The woman, Sonya, looked up and saw Sub-zero. She looked surprised to see the blue ninja for some reason.

"Sub-zero!? But… you're dead!"

The blonde and her partner Jax continued to walk towards Kuai as though he was a friend. Had they known his brother while he was alive? Before they came any further, Sub-zero held up his hand to stop their advance. He needed to it clear who he was.

"I am not the Sub-zero you speak of. He was my brother."

"Your… brother?"

"I am only here to learn Sub-zero's fate. I know he was killed by a specter named Scorpion. Do either of you know of his whereabouts?"

The two Special Forces members looked at each other and after a moment, Jax gave Sonya a nod saying it would be okay for them to tell the ninja where Scorpion. It was not like they were friends with the Shirai Ryu and it did not seem as though this Sub-zero intended to hurt them. He just wanted to find who killed his brother.

"Try the Coliseum. That's where Shao Kahn is holding the rest of the fights for the tournament. We're heading there now."

"I see. So he is participating in this tournament as well?"

"Yeah. He's…"

The Soul Chamber suddenly began shaking, interrupting Sonya. A wave of souls surrounded the three warriors.

"You have disturbed our regeneration process."

The new voice sounded like multiple voices combined into one. Sub-zero could not tell whether it was a man or a woman who had spoke, but Jax and Sonya seemed to already know who it was. Before the trio, a red-garbed ninja appeared from the souls. His body was wrapped in black bandages and his eyes glowed green. Jackson scowled at the him.

"Ermac!"

Without warning, Jax walks over to Ermac and grabs the ninja by his throat. Ermac is unfazed by the African-American and when Jax is about to throw a fist at him, the ninja used his telekinetic powers to stop the Special Forces member. He raised his hand, which was now surrounded by a green aura, and used telekinesis to grab both of Jax's arms. The force of the green energy caused the man to shout in pain as his arms were spread out and they soon started to vibrate violently. With a wave of his hands, the telekinetic crushed Jax's arms into little chunks of flesh and shoved the now armless man to the ground. He was howling and writhing in pain as Sonya ran to his side.

"Jax!"

The blonde quickly uses her energy blasts to stop the bleeding from Jax's arm sockets.

"Stay with me, Jax!"

While Sonya tended to her partner, Ermac turns to face Sub-zero.

"We will break you as well."

The cryomancer took that as a challenge and stepped forward.

"Not if I break you first."


	19. Chapter Eighteen: The Coliseum

**Chapter Eighteen: The Coliseum**

Arriving at the entrance to the Coliseum, Smoke, Raiden, and Johnny Cage stopped for a second before going in. They all took a moment to admire the gigantic structure where fights were hosted. This coliseum was very similar to the one in Rome and the actor wondered if that was where Shao Kahn got the idea. It was actually a logical thought coming from Cage. Tomas took a deep breath and Raiden looked over at the ninja, concerned.

"Is something wrong?"

"I am literally about to fight for my life, as well as my realm, in a tournament where there are Netherrealm specters, insane sorcerers, and possibly Lin Kuei cyborgs if they are that desperate to capture me. Forgive me if I feel a bit overwhelmed."

The sound of clapping drew Smoke and Raiden's attention to Johnny. He had a stupid grin on his face.

"Thank you! Someone other me thinks that all of this is…. I don't know what this is, but crazy is putting it mildly!"

Smoke shook his head, but Raiden let out a chuckle. Johnny did not expect to ever hear the thunder god laugh.

"I understand. But as you have said, Smoke, we are fighting not only for ourselves, but Earthrealm as well. I may be a god, but I cannot protect our realm on my own. You both are needed."

Saving an entire realm? Smoke never thought he would take on the role of savior for a whole world and Johnny always thought he would forever be a hero in movies, not in real life. How drastically the two Earthrealmers' lives have been changed. Cage shrugged.

"What the hell? At least if and when we get out of this, this little adventure of ours will make a great movie. Or even a tv series!"

The actor waved his hands in the air making Tomas frown in confusion.

"We can call it….wait for it….Defenders of the Realms! I already know who would be the perfect actor to play you Rai-man."

Smoke pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. And Kuai thought he was annoying? Cage could definitely give Tomas a run for his money. Ignoring the actor, the ninja and Raiden turned and headed inside the Coliseum, leaving Johnny to ramble for a few more seconds before he realized he was alone. He threw his hands up in the air.

"Oh, come on guys! You know that show would be a hit!"

Cage then jogged up to his comrades and continued to talk about his movie ideas until they were in the arena. As they walked in, hundreds, maybe thousands, of people were shouting and cheering. In the middle of the arena, Shao Kahn sat on another throne while he watched his daughter fight one of the Shaolin monks. She kicked her opponent to the ground and drew her fans out to deal the killing blow. The monk looked up at the princess in defeat.

"I have failed. I deserve death."

_"I have failed my father. You must kill me."_

Kitana looked away from the monk as she thought about Liu Kang again. Why does that particular memory keep coming back to her?

"Kill him!"

The princess looked back at her father. When Kitana does not do as he asks, Shao Kahn growls impatiently and kills the monk himself with a green energy blast. Kitana looks at the charred body in horror as the audience cheers.

"Kitana…."

She looks at the emperor again.

"You will join me."

The emperor motions his head to his side, signaling for his daughter to come. Kitana looks down at the ground as she obeys her father and takes her place beside him. As she stands by Shao Kahn, Smoke, Raiden, and Johnny approach the emperor's throne. Shang Tsung smirks as he sees Tomas with the thunder god. It looks like Raiden has taken him as a champion for Earthrealm, Kitana, however, took a step back when she saw the ninja.

She was not sure what she saw back on the beach, but every time the princess laid eyes on Smoke, she felt an overwhelming sense of fear. If her father knew how afraid she was, he would more than likely punish her for her weakness. She should not fear anyone, especially an Earthrealmer. When he finally noticed her, Tomas and Kitana stared down each other as though one of them would attack the other any second. Raiden sensed the tension between the two and concluded that they must have met sometime before he and Johnny found the ninja. But now was not the time for revenge and the thunder god hoped that neither Smoke nor Kitana engaged in battle, unless they were meant to fight against each other in Mortal Kombat. Shao Kahn laughed at the sight of the Earthrealm's fighters.

"What happened to the rest of your allies, Raiden? Did they abandon you?"

"That is none of your concern. Whenever you are ready, emperor, my warriors are prepared to battle."

Raiden motioned to Johnny and Smoke. Even though they were the only fighters he had right now, they can buy some time until the other returned from their missions. The emperor scoffed when he saw Cage, but he paused when he saw Smoke.

"You must be one of the intruders my daughter was sent to eliminate."

Shao Kahn scowled at Kitana and she stayed silent, embarrassed of her failure. He then looked back Tomas.

"You should know better than to tread where you are not welcomed, ninja."

"Then you should not make it so easy, emperor."

Shao Kahn scowled. How dare a filthy Earthrealm speak to him in such a manner? Before anything escalated out of control, Raiden decided to get the conversation back on topic.

"Let us get on with the tournament, Shao Kahn. Who will fight next?"

At that, the emperor told Shang Tsung to come forth. The sorcerer nodded and stepped forward.

"The next fight will be Smoke vs…. Kano!"

So the Australian still lives. Coming from behind Shao Kahn's throne, Kano walked up throwing a knife up and down as though he was bored. A sinister grin appeared on his face when he saw Smoke.

"That was a cheap shot back at the Living Forest. I would've been dead if not for Shang Tsung. You're gonna pay for that, mate."

Tomas was not at all intimidated by Kano's words. He simply walked to the edge of the emperor's makeshift arena and got into his fighting stance.

"It is unfortunate that you did not die back in the forest. You are only getting in my way."

Kano laughed and pointed a finger at the ninja.

"One dead Lin Kuei in a tick."

Shao Kahn raised his hands in the air. It was time for the battle to start.

"FIGHT!"

The two combatants instantly charged towards each other. Kano threw two of his knives at Smoke and the ninja deflected them with a knife of his own. A low growl rumbled in the Australian's throat, but a smile quickly followed. How he could do it Smoke had no idea, but Kano rolled his entire body into a ball and flew into the air. The human ball crashed into Tomas' chest and he was sent flying back into a wall. That attack really caught the ninja off guard.

Grunting as he stood up, Smoke watched as Kano's eye started to glow a really bright red and shortly after that, a laser shot from it. Tomas gasped in surprise, but he quickly teleported out of the way of the laser and it hit the wall instead. A small, smoking hole was made where Smoke's head would have been. Kano frowned when he noticed that the ninja had disappeared. Before he could pinpoint his opponent's location, the Australian was kicked in the back and knocked down to his knees. Kano looked back to see his attacker, but instead, a punch was delivered to his face and it made his laser eye go off involuntarily.

A shot from it grazed Smoke's arm as he backed away to avoid the laser. A small yelp escaped him and he looked at his arm to see the damage. There was a gash and it did hurt, but Tomas could fight through it. The ninja looked up in time for Kano to land a punch in his face and the Black Dragon's leader followed that with a kick to Smoke's stomach. The wind was literally knocked out of Tomas and he fell to one knee. Kano laughed and was about to kick the ninja again, but Smoke would not give him the chance.

As Kano's leg reached his face, Tomas grabbed it with one hand and he used all of his strength to throw the Australian across the arena. Kano crashed into the wall and the force was so powerful that he coughed up blood. He landed on his hands and knees and panted heavily. The fight did not seem it was in his favor now. As he wiped some blood from his mouth, Kano heard footsteps approaching him. A shadow loomed over the Black Dragon Leader and he looked up to see Smoke looking down upon him.

"Stay down."

But would Kano take Tomas' advice? Of course not. The Australian got up to one knee and spat out blood near his opponent's feet.

"Why don't you go and fuck yourself?"

Kano then shot his laser again, but Smoke simply changed into his smoke form and moved behind the Australian. Kano continued to shoot in all directions, hoping that he would hit his target once he was back in his human form. One of his shots would have Johnny if Raiden had not stopped it and Kitana deflected some of the projectiles with her fans. Appearing behind Kano, Tomas finally changed back to normal and attempted to restrain his foe. He held Kano's arms behind his back and the Australian instantly struggled against the ninja.

"What the hell!? Get off of me!"

"Not until you yield. Do not give me a reason to kill you. You can still walk away from this if you just surrender."

"Surrender? Like hell I will!"

Kano then headbutted Smoke, causing the ninja to let go of his arms and threw one of his knives at the stunned ninja. Tomas yelped as the projectile hit him in his side. Kano smirked and kicked the ninja in his chest to back him against the wall. Smoke slid to the ground and looked down at the wound in his side. The knife was only going to get in the way, so Tomas grabbed the handle of it and quickly pulled the weapon out. As his opponent charged at him again, Smoke threw knife at Kano, who turned his head to avoid it.

That gave Smoke just enough time to turn back into smoke and make an attack. As Kano turned his head back to look at Tomas, the ninja changed back into his human self and punched the Australian right in the stomach. Smoke followed that punch by kneeing Kano in his chin and as his head thrown back, Tomas kicked him in his chest. Kano landed on his back and instantly fell unconscious. The battle was over.

"Finish him!"

Smoke looked at Shao Kahn. The emperor wanted him to kill Kano. As he placed a hand on side to stop the bleeding from his injury, Tomas could see Raiden shaking his head. Even Johnny Cage was telling the ninja not to murder the Australian. But they did not need to worry.

"I will not kill him. The fight is done."

Smoke then walked back to his comrades with Shao Kahn looking in disgust. His daughter on the other hand was not surprised. In fact, the ninja could have easily kill the princess, but he did not. She could tell that Tomas was a man on a mission and he not going to kill anyone if it was not necessary. He had a target in mind and it seemed neither Kitana nor Kano were that target.

Approaching his allies, Smoke almost fell to the ground because of his injury, but Johnny caught him and helped the ninja stand upright.

"Dude, that was awesome! You really beat that guy's ass!"

"Well, I cannot say that I came out of the fight unscathed."

Raiden stepped up and looked at Tomas' wounds.

"Allow me to heal your injuries. It will take only a moment."

Smoke nodded and the thunder god went to work. As Raiden was healing him, Tomas saw someone coming through the entrance of the Coliseum. It looked like…

"Sub-zero?"

Johnny Cage looked back when Smoke said the cryomancer's name, and surely enough, the newcomer was Kuai Liang. The blue ninja stopped and looked around the arena for a moment before his eyes landed on Tomas.

"Smoke!?"

The blue ninja called out to his friend and started jogging towards him, but he did not make far before he was surrounded by Lin Kuei cyborgs.


	20. Chapter Nineteen: For the Lin Kuei

**Chapter Nineteen: For the Lin Kuei**

"Sub-zero! NO!"

The Lin Kuei cyborgs surround Kuai Liang and use their pulse chargers to restrain him. The cryomancer screams in pain from the force of the chargers' energy and is unable to summon his powers to escape. As the cyber ninjas are dealing with Sub-zero, two more cyborgs appear before Shao Kahn's throne. Kuai recognized Cyrax, but he did not know who the red cyborg was that accompanied his old friend. Shang Tsung stepped forward to address the cyborgs. All these meddlesome ninjas were beginning to irritate the sorcerer.

"Who now interrupts the emperor's tournament?"

The red and yellow cyborgs bow before Shao Kahn. However, it was the red one who spoke up.

"We request that we may return him to our temple for judgement."

The robot was referring to Sub-zero. Smoke looked over at his friend who was at the Lin Kuei's mercy. He had to do something and he had to do it now. Tomas was about to go to Kuai's aid, but Raiden holds him back.

"You cannot save him!"

"I have to try! I am not going to abandon my friend!"

"I am sorry, but if you go, they will take you as well. Do you think Sub-zero would want that to happen?"

Again, Smoke looked at Sub-zero and the cyborgs. It pained him to see Kuai suffering and the sight reminded Tomas of Zhu Zin. He felt just as helpless as he did back then. This time… this time will be different.

"And what do I gain from granting this bold request?"

"The Lin Kuei's loyalty and service."

Smoke was shocked. The Lin Kuei were willing to serve Outworld in order to capture him and Sub-zero? This was madness!

"Very well. He is yours."

No. Sub-zero was not going to be transformed. Not if Smoke had anything to do with it. The cyborgs bowed again to the emperor and just as they were turning around, Tomas teleported away from Raiden and Johnny Cage.

"Smoke, STOP!"

But the thunder god was unable to stop the ninja. Smoke reappeared in his human form before the red and yellow cyborgs with his fists clenched at his sides. The robots stopped immediately as they recognized Tomas.

"Smoke."

The red cyber ninja clenched his own fists while Cyrax stayed quiet.

"You have disobeyed the directive to remain at the Lin Kuei temple. You will return with us to begin your transformation."

"I will not. And neither will Sub-zero."

"Then you will be taken by force."

The red cyborg tried to grab Tomas, but the ninja kicked the robot back before it could touch him. Seeing Smoke as a threat, Cyrax made his hand into a buzzsaw and aimed it at Tomas' throat. The cyber was not going to kill him, of course, but he could use his weapon to intimidate the ninja.

"STOP!"

The yellow cyborg halted his assault at the sound of Shao Kahn's booming voice. Everyone turned to the emperor, confused.

"It seems that a challenge has been made, yes?"

Shang Tsung smirked.

"It seems that way, my lord. This is the Mortal Kombat tournament. And what is a better way to settle disputes than with violence?"

The sorcerer raised his hands into the air and looked at Smoke.

"If you accept this challenge, you can win your freedom, as well as your friend's. At least for the time being. It is your choice."

Without hesitation, Tomas nodded.

"I accept."

"Very well. The next battle will be Smoke vs Cyrax and Sektor!"

The crowd cheered as the next fight was announced. Smoke, however, was confused. Did the sorcerer just say… Cyrax? And Sektor? He glanced at the yellow and red robots as they walked to the other side of the arena.

"Hey, wait!"

Tomas heard Johnny Cage shout and looked back to see the actor jogging to his side.

"I'll fight, too."

"Johnny, this is not your battle."

"I know that, but hey, were buddies, right? Gotta look after each other. Besides, you're going against not one, but two robots. Haven't you seen "The Terminator!?"

"No."

"Should've known that… but the point is, you shouldn't fight them alone when you have there are people here willing to help you."

Cage adjusted his shades and then looked at Shang Tsung.

"You got a problem with me tagging in, Harry Potter?"

The sorcerer frowned at the name making Johnny facepalm himself.

"Never mind. Let's just get this thing over with."

Cage and Smoke to their positions on the opposite side of the battlefield as the cyborgs. As he got into his fighting stance, Tomas stared at his opponents. Now that he thought about it, Cyrax was the only one in the Lin Kuei to use a buzz saw as a weapon. Could that yellow cyborg truly be his old comrade? If so, Smoke would have to be careful not to harm Cyrax. If he actually could.

"Johnny, I have a favor to ask you."

"Yeah? What's up?"

"The yellow cyborg. Please try your best not to hurt him. He was… is my friend."

"I mean, I'll try, but that's going to be kinda hard if he starts getting crazy with that saw. What about the red one?"

Smoke did not care about Sektor. They hated each other and that had not changed.

"He is mine."

The dark tone in Tomas' voice worried Johnny Cage. He did not know the ninja well, but he could tell that Smoke did not like the red cyborg. If only Johnny knew how much his ally resented Sektor. Standing away from the upcoming battle, Raiden watched as his champions talked. He was not angered by Smoke's decision to ignore him, but the thunder god was worried. If Smoke lost this fight, then he and Sub-zero would be transformed into robots. Tomas and Johnny Cage needed to win this fight. Shang Tsung was still smiling as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Kombatants…BEGIN!"

Smoke immediately went to Sektor, leaving Johnny to fight Cyrax. The ninja gritted his teeth together as he charged at the red cyborg. What sounded like chuckle resonated from the robot when Tomas was upon him, and at the last second, Sektor disappeared in what looked like random green data. The cyborg could practically feel Smoke's confusion and it made him want to laugh. A few seconds later, as Tomas was trying to pinpoint Sektor's location, the robot shot straight up from the ground and performed an uppercut on Smoke.

The ninja flew into the air and then landed far from his opponent. Smoke grabbed his jaw, which was now throbbing, and realized that part of his mask had been broken. The damaged area showed some of his mouth. But he could not worry about that right now. More green data appeared before Tomas and out of it stood Sektor. He just stood there and looked down at the stunned Smoke.

"So, is it true? You really went through with the initiative?"

"Of course. Your ignorance blinded you to the Grandmaster's vision."

"His vision includes us giving up our humanity!"

"And in return, we will gain so much more."

Compartment opened in Sektor's chest and a missile was revealed, aimed right at Smoke. Tomas gasped as the projectile was launched, but he was able to teleport before it could reach him. The missile hit the ground instead and exploded. Flames and sand spread into the air, but they quickly died down. Behind Sektor, Smoke reappeared in a crouched position.

"I thought the Grandmaster wanted us alive."

"Some things just cannot be helped. If you happen to die by my hand, it was "self-defense."

"It seems the transformation did nothing for your arrogance."

On the other side of the arena, Johnny was ducking and dodging Cyrax's attacks, but he was not fighting back. He was thinking about what Smoke had asked of him.

_"The yellow cyborg. Please try your best not to harm him."_

But how exactly was Johnny supposed to do that? His opponent did not seem so keen on talking things out and if it really was Cyrax, then the actor was in trouble. After all, the Botswanan wiped the floor with Cage on Shang Tsung's island. This should be a breeze for Cyrax now that he was a cyborg.

"Hey, uh… Cyrax, right?"

The cyber ninja threw a punch at Johnny's face, which he avoided.

"Woah, hey buddy. I'm just trying to have a conversation with you!"

Again, Cyrax's hand changed into a buzz saw and he slashed it at Johnny making him jump back.

"Jesus! You know, you'd be great for Robocop!"

Ignoring the actor, Cyrax continued to attack. The cyborg managed to get a cut in on Johnny's arm. Cage grimaced as he placed his hand over the wound.

"God, that hurts like bitch! Was that really nece…"

"DO YOU EVER STOP TALKING!?"

Cyrax's sudden outburst made Johnny, Smoke, and Sektor look at him, surprised and confused. Even Cyrax himself was confused. He was not supposed to feel any kind of emotions. This sparked a glimmer of hope in Tomas. The ninja called out to his ally.

"Johnny, what did you do!?"

"Hell if I know! I was just talking to him and he got pissed!"

The yellow cyborg suddenly started yelling and grabbed his head. He must be malfunctioning. As Smoke and Johnny were distracted, Sektor used the opportunity to lung at Tomas and pin him to the ground. The red cyborg activated a pulse charger of his own and plunged it into Smoke's side, where he was still wounded. Raiden had not finished healing the injury before the ninja took off. Tomas screamed as the energy surrounded him. Johnny was about to go help him, but Smoke stopped him.

"Don't worry about me! Help Cyrax!"

"By doing what? Talking!?"

"YES!"

Johnny frowned, but he turned back to Cyrax, who had a hand on his head. The actor took a deep breath and began to do what he does best: talk.

"Listen, man, if I said something wrong, that was my bad. I was just trying to lighten things up a bit, you know!?"

Cyrax threw his head back and yelled even louder. Sparks started flying from the cyborg's body. Johnny was beginning to think that he should stop, but then again, this way better than getting cut down by a saw.

"Dude, you're not looking so good. You should try to relax, it'll do you some good."

Cyrax had had enough. He changed both of his hands to buzz saws and charged at the actor. Johnny stood his ground.

"Jeez, give the saws a rest, sunshine."

Something clicked in Cyrax's mind and when he had one of his buzz saws at Johnny's throat, he stopped. A memory flashed before the cyborg's eyes. It was of his first fight with Johnny Cage. When he was a human. The actor was overconfident and believed he could defeat the Botswanan in battle. Cage practically skipped to the arena while Cyrax had only thing on his mind: He had to kill Johnny Cage.

_"Not everyone gets to rumble with a celebrity. Ready for your beatdown, sunshine?"_

Sunshine. That stupid nickname had triggered the recollection. Cyrax lifted his head up to look at Cage.

"I said I would not kill you."

Cyrax whispered the words, as if he was unsure of himself, but Johnny heard him. Before the actor could say anything else, Cyrax's eyes went black, meaning that he had shut down. Cage caught the cyber ninja before he fell to the ground. Sektor detected that Cyrax was no longer functioning and for a split second, he forgot about Smoke. Good. Even though his body felt numb, Tomas managed to reach for the panel on his opponent's chest.

**"Do it!"**

Smoke's eyes widen and then… everything went black. Next thing he knew, Tomas had punched a hole straight through Sektor's chest. His entire arm had gone through. Sparks flew from the cyborg's injury.

"Im…possible."

Sektor felt all of his energy leave his body and he fell beside Smoke. He was finished. Now that he was finally free of Sektor, Tomas got up into a sitting position while clutching his side. He could hear the crowd booing and footsteps approaching him. A shadow soon loomed over the ninja and he looked to see Johnny holding his hand out to him. Smoke gladly accepted it and the actor pulled him to his feet. Behind Cage, Tomas could see Cyrax on the ground. Hopefully he would be alright.

"Smoke!"

Smoke and Johnny turned around and they saw Sub-zero running towards them. Shang Tsung had not lied when he said that Tomas was fighting for their freedom.

"Sub-zero. Are you alright?"

"I am fine, it is you I am concerned about."

"Don't worry. This is nothing."

"Yeah, I'm fine you guys. No need to worry about ME."

The ninjas turned to Johnny Cage. The actor was actually pouting like a child with his arms crossed. Tomas laughed.

"Forgive me, Smoke."

Raiden had made his way to his comrades and bowed before Tomas.

"It seems the future has drastically changed and therefore you two were able to defeat Sektor and Cyrax. I congratulate you on your victory, but there is another matter we must attend to."

"What is it?"

"First, will you allow me to finish healing you?"

Smoke had forgotten about the wound that he was unconsciously putting pressure onto. He nodded to the thunder god.

"That would be appreciated."

"Very well. Afterwards, I would like to speak to the princess."

Raiden and his warriors turned to Shao Kahn's throne. Kitana was walking away with her head down. The emperor must have scolded her.

"Kitana's faith is a slender reed, bent before the storm. If it can be uprooted altogether…"


	21. Chapter Twenty: Right and Wrong

**Chapter Twenty: Right and wrong**

The remaining Lin Kuei cyborgs lifted the fallen Sektor from the ground. A few started to walk to Cyrax, but someone stood in their way. Smoke blocked the cyber ninjas' path with Sub-zero right behind him.

"Lord Raiden, go on without us. We will catch up to you once we are finished here."

"Are you sure you do not require our help?"

Tomas shook his head. Johnny, however, felt that he should stay with the ninjas.

"They will be fine, Johnny Cage."

Raiden felt the actor's hesitation and wanted to reassure him. Both Cage and the thunder god have seen what Smoke was capable of and with Sub-zero there to help him, there should not be that much of a problem. The two quickly turned around to where Kitana had gone and exited the Coliseum. Tomas looked back at the cyborgs before him.

"Cyrax stays with us."

"Unit LK-4D4 is to return with us to the Lin Kuei temple for repairs. That is an order."

"I do not care about your orders. Leave while you still can."

Before the robots could do anything, a voice rang throughout their heads.

"Leave them be. Return Sektor to the temple immediately. We will deal with Unit LK-4D4 at another time."

Without hesitation, the cyborgs turned around and activated their camoflauge with Sektor in tow. Smoke and Sub-zero were confused at the robot's sudden departure, but they were grateful for it. Tomas was not sure if he had the patience for another fight right now. After they made sure the cyborgs were really gone, the two ninjas knelt beside Cyrax's body. They had no way to check if their friend is okay, so they just had to pray to the Elder Gods that he was.

"An impressive display."

Tomas and Kuai looked up at the emperor, who surprisingly has not said a word since Smoke's battle with Kano.

"But tell me, Smoke: are they really worth fighting for?"

"Why do you care?"

"I asked you a question first and I expect an answer."

Tomas could care less about Shao Kahn being an emperor. The tyrant had no authority over Smoke, so he was not obligated to answer anything. But for some reason, the ninja responded.

"Yes. Unlike you, I actually care about others, not just myself."

"….A pity."

Shao Kahn stood up from his throne and walked to the ninjas. Mist resonated from Sub-zero hands as the emperor came. The warlord stopped in front of Smoke and kept his eyes trained on him.

"I sense great power from you. You are only wasting it on such worthless beings."

"It is my power and I will do with it as I please. Even if that means protecting those you deem irrelevant."

Smoke then reached down for Cyrax's arm with Sub-zero soon following suit. They managed to lift the heavy body from the ground with one arm slung over each of their shoulders. Tomas looked Shao Khan dead in his eyes as he stood.

"Now, are we free to leave this place or are you going to try and stop us?"

Shao Kahn actually laughed at the question. They had won their freedom fairly. The emperor simply stepped aside to let the ninjas pass and they quickly left the Coliseum as well. While they were leaving, Shang Tsung came to the emperor's side.

"If I may ask, my lord, why did you allow them to leave? You could have easily overwhelmed them."

"Yes, I could have. But I have waited a long time for a real challenge. And I believe that ninja will provide me with one in due time."

Away from prying eyes, Smoke and Sub-zero made their way to Raiden and Johnny Cage. Kuai looked down at Cyrax as they dragged him along.

"I had encountered Cyrax before coming here."

"You did? How did that go?"

"I think you already know."

Tomas nodded and they stayed silent for while. Both of them were exhausted and decided to just enjoy each other's company. After some time, Sub-zero spoke up again.

"What happened back there?"

The cyromancer stopped making Smoke look at him. Tomas frowned at the question.

"What do you mean?"

"I saw the way you looked at Sektor when your arm was through his chest. It was as though you could not believe you had done such a thing. I could not believe you did that."

Smoke said nothing and looked down at the ground. He did not want Sub-zero to know that he really blacked-out when his arm went through the cyborg's body. Kuai sighed at his friend's silence.

"Tomas… I know you hate Sektor, we all do. But I never thought you would… you wanted to kill him, did you not?"

"I…"

"The truth, Vrbada."

Kuai only said Tomas' last name when he wanted answers from his comrade. And he was not going to stop prying until he had them.

"I… I honestly do not know what was going through my mind at the time. Everything was… kind of a blur. I guess I let my anger get the best of me."

He let out a dry laugh.

"Hydro would give me a lecture for that."

Now it was Sub-zero's turn to look away. He had not thought about his sifu in a while and just bringing up the name caused an overwhelming wave of sadness to wash over the cryomancer.

"Yes. I really wish he was here right now. He always knew what to do in these kind of situations."

"Are you saying I am making bad decisions?"

"I am saying things could have gone better."

He knew Kuai was joking, but Tomas could not help but feel that the statement was true. This all started because a voice in Smoke's head that turned out to be a real person and not someone from his imagination. Maybe he should have let things be instead of sticking his nose where it did not belong. But if he had, then where would he and Sub-zero? Thinking about that made Smoke's head hurt.

After a long and uneventful walk, the ninjas found themselves back in the Wastelands. They were about to stop to take a breath, but then they heard voices from the distant.

"Who is it?"

"I think one of the voices is Johnny, and the other's…"

"What?"

Without answering Kuai's question, Tomas dropped Cyrax's arm and started walking ahead.

"Wait here, Kuai. I will be right back."

"Why? What is wrong?"

"Nothing. I just have a princess I need to talk some sense into."

Turning onto the beach, the ninja saw Johnny Cage laying on his back while Kitana stood over him. The two mist have fought before Smoke arrived.

"Shao Kahn wants death to follow kombat. I will give it to him."

Kitana prepares to finish Cage off when Raiden steps forward to confront her.

"Perhaps Liu Kang was wrong about you."

Hearing the monk's name seemed to calm the princess down. She froze as though she was seriously thinking about Raiden's words. The thunder god continued.

"Or perhaps he sensed, as do I, that there is conflict in you."

Finally, Kitana lowered let her guard down. She lowered her hands and backed away from Johnny. Now Tomas felt it would be okay to come forth without causing another conflict. He walked past the princess, who was surprised that she had not sensed his presence, and the ninja helped Cage up from the ground. As he stood up, Johnny cracked his neck.

"Thanks. Ow."

The actor then turned to Raiden.

"You couldn't've seen that in one o' your hot flashes?"

The thunder god ignored the comment and continued talking to Kitana.

"Something whispers to you that circumstances should be different. That you should be different. You are much more like Sindel than Shao Ka…"

Raiden suddenly has another vision. He sees Sindel, the former queen of Edenia and wife of Shao Kahn. The thunder god immediately questioned if this vision was true.

"But… she is dead…"

"My mother is dead, yes."

For some reason, Kitana felt the need to confirm that her mother was deceased. It was like Raiden was questioning Sindel's death.

"Why do you…"

"You need answers, Kitana."

Raiden interrupted the princess before she could ask anything. He honestly was not sure if he could answer what Kitana wanted to ask.

"I can help you find them, if you will trust in me. Go to Shang Tsung's Flesh Pits. Much will be revealed there."

"The Flesh Pits? But I am forbidden to…"

"Yes. You are. And why is that?"

"I… don't know. Tell me…"

"You must discover your true path. Alone."

The thunder god walked and Johnny soon followed. Smoke, however, stayed where he was. He could see how confused and lost Kitana and felt sorry for her. For years, the princess never questioned her father's ways and now, she was having doubts. Her whole world has been flipped upside-down. And Tomas knows exactly how that feels.

"If I may…"

It took Smoke a moment to realize that Kitana was talking to him. He looked at the princess wondering why she wanted to talk to him of all people.

"Yes?"

"… I was wondering why you… spared me."

Oh. Tomas was expecting for Kitana to ask him something like that.

"You were not the one I was looking for. I had no need to kill you once you were unconscious."

"But… you still could have. If you wanted to."

Kitana looked down at her hands.

"I was your enemy. My father taught me that enemies should be disposed of. No matter how little a threat they may seem."

"I was taught differently."

"How so?"

Smoke was hesitant about sharing some personal information with someone who could very well still be his enemy, but if Raiden saw good in her, than he should try to see it too.

"I grew up in a clan of assassins, meaning that I was taught to kill, just like you. Only a child and I was being trained to become a murderer. Fortunately, there was someone who thought differently about the Lin Kuei's ways. He was my master."

"If he did not feel the same way about killing as the others, why did your master join the Lin Kuei?"

"Most of us were taken as children, whether we were orphans or not. My master, however, was saved by Lin Kuei assassins as a young adult and felt that he owed the Grandmaster. So he joined the clan to repay his debt. My master would kill anyone the Grandmaster ordered him to, but with each kill, his guilt grew stronger. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but… he could not just leave the clan."

"With each child that was brought to the Lin Kuei, my master tried his best to keep them on the right path. He told us killing was wrong, but at times, it is necessary to survive. As I said before, there was no need to kill you once you were knocked out. You were no threat to might my survival."

Kitana just nodded, speechless. She did not think the ninja would tell her something like, but she was glad he did. It made her decision to go to the Flesh Pits or not much easier to make.

"Your master seems like an honorable man."

"He was. If he had known about you, I am sure he would have helped you as well."

"I agree. Hopefully…"

Kitana looked in the direction of the Living Forest. She would have to go through there to get to Shang Tsung's lab.

"… I am now walking the right path."

She turned around and started walking to the forest. Kitana looked back at Smoke once more.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome, your highness."


	22. Chapter Twenty-One: Old Friends

**Chapter Twenty-One: Old Friends**

With Kitana on her way to the Flesh Pits, Smoke, Raiden, and Johnny Cage made their way to Sub-zero and the still comatose Cyrax. Johnny bent down on one knee and started poking at the robot's head.

"So, this thing is really Cyrax, huh? Never would've imagined that this was once a hum…"

A fist collided with the back of Cage's head. He fell face-first to the ground and a huge knot was now sitting on the back of the actor's skull. Standing above Johnny, a very irritated Sub-zero has his arms folded across his chest. Even his eyebrow seemed to be twitching uncontrollably.

"I do not think Cyrax would appreciate you poking his head like that."

Behind the cryomancer, Smoke was stifling a laugh. He felt bad for Cage, but the ninja had to admit, Kuai punching him was kind of hilarious.

"I apologize for my friend, Johnny Cage. Since Cyrax is in such a vulnerable state, we are both a bit… overprotective of him."

Johnny slowly got up to his feet while shaking his head. He did not even think about touching his new injury. That would hurt. Bad.

"No problem. I think I'm getting used to idea of being everyone's punching bag."

"And if you are not careful, you will be in a body bag."

Chills went through Johnny's spine. Literally. Sub-zero had once again snuck up behind the actor, but this time, Cage immediately got away. He ran over to Smoke and hid behind the ninja. Kuai glared daggers at Johnny as he peeked around Tomas in fear. Smoke held his hands up as Sub-zero approached him.

"Uh, Sub-zero, I believe that Johnny got the point. You can leave him b…"

"Come out, Cage."

Hesitantly, Johnny Cage crept from his hiding spot and stood in front Sub-zero. He kept his head down to keep from looking the cryomancer in the eye. What happened next, however, shocked not only the actor, but also Smoke. Even Raiden was surprised.

"But you did help save Cyrax's life, as well as mine. So we are both in your debt."

Sub-zero held his hand out to Johnny Cage. At first, Johnny just looked at the hand as though it was going to bite, but after some time, the actor finally shook hands with Kuai.

"Uh… it's no big deal. I mean, anyone else would've done th…"

"No, Johnny Cage. Not just anyone."

Sub-zero let's go of Cage's hand. The actor rubbed the back of his hand nervously.

"So…. we cool?"

Again, Kuai scowled and Tomas mentally face-palmed himself. Johnny quickly realized his mistake.

"No, no, no, no, no! There was no pun intended in that, I swear!"

The actor held his arms over his face and closed his eyes. He expected another blow from Sub-zero, but a few seconds passed and Cage was still standing. He opened his eyes and saw that Sub-zero was walking away with Raiden. The thunder god looked back at Johnny and Smoke.

"Come now. We must return to the tournament."

Johnny Cage breathed a sigh of relief and he and Tomas followed behind Raiden and Sub-zero. The actor turned to Smoke and started whispering.

"That was close. I really thought he was going to kill me."

"Be grateful he did not. Next time, think before you speak."

"Hey, it's not my fault your friend needs to chill."

The air around them suddenly felt colder and Johnny could even see his own breath. In front of Cage, Sub-zero had stopped and his fists were covered in ice. Raiden and Smoke shook their heads.

"Johnny…"

"I'm sorry, okay!? I couldn't help it!"

Before Kuai could lay a finger on Cage, a beeping sound interrupted them. Johnny looked on his wrist, where there was something that looked like a watch wrapped around it. Raiden walked up to the actor knowing what the object was.

"It is the communicator Sonya Blade gave you, correct?"

"Yeah, and it looks like she's calling it. How do I even...?"

Johnny pressed a silver button on the side of the watch and Sonya's face popped up on a small screen. Cage smiled at the blonde.

"Hey, beautiful! Missed you and the big man. Where are you gu…?"

"Johnny, we're back in Earthrealm. Jax was seriously injured and needed medical attention immediately. A guy claiming to be Sub-zero's brother helped us."

"Oh, yeah, he's right here with us."

Everyone turned to Sub-zero and Johnny angled his communicator so Sonya could see him too.

"How is your comrade's condition now?"

"I haven't heard anything yet, but I know he'll be okay. By the way, I didn't get the chance to properly thank you for your help, Sub-zero. And I'm sure Jax will feel the same way once he wakes up."

"There is no need to thank me."

"Well, I just did, so deal with it."

Sub-zero scoffed, but Smoke chuckled at Sonya's words. Hearing his laughter, the blonde turned to Tomas.

"I'm sorry, but have we met?"

"No, we have not. I am called Smoke and I am a friend of Sub-zero's."

Johnny slung an arm around Smoke's neck and started talking to Sonya.

"And this guy beat the hell out of Kano in the tournament. You should've been there to see it!"

"Really?"

Sonya looked back at Tomas, who nodded in confirmation.

"Anyone who kicks that bastard's ass is automatically my friend. I'm Sonya Blade. It's a pleasure to meet you, Smoke."

"Likewise, Sonya."

Now it was Raiden's turn to speak.

"Sonya Blade, I hope that Jackson is alright, but we must talk to you at another time."

"I understand. Oh, before you go, there's someone who wants to talk to you, Raiden. His na…"

Someone pushed Sonya out of the way and stuffed there face into the communicator's screen. He quickly apologized to the blonde, but kept his face to the screen.

"My apologies, young lady. I did not hurt you, did I?"

Raiden instantly recognized the voice. It was one he had not heard in a long time.

"Is that you, Master Bo Rai Cho?"

The drunk finally got the screen right so he could see the thunder god. He smiled.

"Ah, Raiden! It is good to see you, old friend."

"You as well. I see that you in Earthrealm with Sonya Blade. May I ask what brings you there?"

"I would tell you, but that is a long story and I am sure you do not have time for it."

"Unfortunately, we do not."

"Oh, is the cryomancer and fire man there with you?"

Raiden frowned at the names. Smoke sighed and he pulled Johnny's wrist to him and Sub-zero.

"Hello, Master Bo Rai Cho. Are Li Mei and the others alright?"

"Yes, yes, they are just fine. Miss Blade and her friends at the Special Forces have been very accommodating. How about you?"

"We are fine, thank you."

"That is good. You two take care. Li Mei and I will be highly upset if you die. So don't."

The two ninjas laughed, but they nodded. They handed the watch back to Raiden.

"We will speak to you both again soon. Until then, farewell."

"Of course, Raiden. Until then, my friend."

Sonya nodded and turned her communicator off. Raiden then looked up to his champions.

"You all should return to the Coliseum. I am not sure if Shao Kahn has any matches planned at the moment, so it would be best that you do not keep them waiting. I will not be accompanying you."

Johnny's mouth dropped in shock. He grabbed Raiden's arm.

"Wait, you're leaving!?"

"I will not be long. There is an urgent matter I must discuss with Elder Gods."

"Elder what?"

"Do take care. Shao Kahn is known for treachery. There is no guarantee that he will not try to kill you before any of you can reach the final challenge."

Everyone nodded and then Raiden teleported away. Johnny Cage sighed as Smoke and Sub-zero walked up and stood on either side of him.

"Well… looks like it's just us now."

"It seems that way."

Then a thought popped into Cage's head.

"You know, maybe this would be a good time to explore this hell hole. I saw this cool looking bazaar by Shao Kahn's place and..."

"Lord Raiden told us to go to the Coliseum."

Johnny Cage held his hands up to Sub-zero. He should have known that the cryomancer would protest.

"Yeah, yeah, I know what the guy said, but come on. This may be the last time I ever come to this dump, so I want see everything. Besides, I don't think any of us have had a break ever since we got here, right?"

The actor did have a point. They were all exhausted and would probably pass out any minute now. Maybe a little detour would do them some good.

"I do not see any harm in it."

Sub-zero looked at Smoke and shook his head.

"Smoke, what about the tournament?"

"If we are needed, Shao Kahn will find us somehow. This is his realm, after all."

The ninja then walked over to Johnny.

"You said you saw a bazaar?"

"Yeah. I remember exactly where it was, too."

"Then lead the way."

Johnny gave him a thumbs-up and walked ahead. Smoke quickly followed him with Sub-zero behind them. The cryomancer sighed.

"I still do not think that this is a good idea."

* * *

Now arriving at the temple of the Elder Gods, Raiden stood on a large platform that had the Mortal Kombat symbol in the middle of it. Six blue, spirit-like forms surrounded him and stared at the god with white eyes.

"Elder gods, I have come to ask for your knowledge."

The Elder Gods responded, but they all spoke simultaneously.

"What knowledge do you seek from us, Raiden?"

"I wish to know more about an assassin called Smoke."

"Is there something of interest about this mortal you wish to know about?"

"In the tournament, he fought against an old ally of his. It seems that in a desperate act to get the upper hand in the battle, Smoke plummeted his fist straight through his opponent."

"And that concerns you?"

"No…"

Raiden went silent for a moment, and even though their faces were emotionless, the Elder Gods were worried. Something was seriously wrong if it left the thunder god speechless.

"What concerns me… is that I do not believe that Smoke was in control when he attacked."

"You believe he was possessed?"

"I believe there is much more to this than mere possession. If I knew about Smoke's past, then maybe I can find answers about this… other being."

Now the Elder Gods were silent. Raiden sighed.

"I could feel this entity's power when it attacked. It felt… evil. Dark. And incredibly dangerous."

"Dangerous enough that it could be a serious threat?"

Raiden thought back to Smoke's fight. The energy he felt… it was real. It was strong enough to put the god on edge. That was saying something, right?

"…Yes. It could be."

"If that is so… then we will tell you everything we know about the mortal called Smoke."


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Curiosity Killed the Cat**

The Marketplace was pretty empty when Earthrealm's champions arrived, but there were a few Outworlders were lingering around. Most of them had gone to watch the tournament, so the city was almost barren. Johnny Cage went by some of the stands and barrels of fruit.

"Wow. I would kill for a banana right now. I'm starving."

Cage looked around to see if anyone could sell him the fruit, but the people who were there ignored him. The actor tried to get the attention of a man nearby who had his back turned to him.

"Excuse me, do you work at this stand? If you do, I would like to…"

"Get lost."

Johnny frowned at the man's rudeness. He only asked him a simple question.

"I'm sorry?"

The man stopped what he was doing and turned around. He had long, brown hair that was pulled back into a braid and a scar ran from the top of his left cheek down to his chin. His face bore the meanest scowl as he looked at Cage.

"Did I stutter, Earthrealmer? I said get lost."

"Jeez, man, I was just asking for…"

"Johnny, stop."

Smoke walked to Cage's side and grabbed his shoulder. The ninja then looked at the Outworlder.

"We apologize for intruding. We will leave now."

"But, Smoke…"

"We are leaving."

Tomas pulled Johnny away from the vendor and they joined Sub-zero, who was holding onto Cyrax. They forgot to ask Raiden if he could take the robot somewhere safe during Mortal Kombat. Now they were stuck taking turns carrying him, but the ninjas were not complaining. They were glad to have their friend back. Johnny looked back at Smoke as they continued down the street.

"What was that back there? That guy had no right to act like a jerk to someone he just met!"

"You should not expect any kindness from Outworlders. We are Earthrealmers and Earthrealm is Shao Kahn's enemy, as well as all of Outworld."

"Yeah, but still, he have to… huh?"

The three Men stopped in their tracks. Someone was walking towards them. It was a little girl with straight, blonde hair and emerald green eyes. She was holding something out in her hands as she stopped in front of Johnny Cage.

"Is that for me?"

The girl nodded and quickly put the object in Cage's hands. It was a banana, just like the actor wanted. He smiled down at the child.

"Thanks, kid. I owe you one."

The girl said nothing. Instead, she looked over at Smoke and stared at him. Tomas felt as though the kid was staring into his soul. It made him uncomfortable. After a couple of seconds went by, the little girl ran away. The girl's behavior confused the Earthrealmers, but they just shrugged it off and started walking again. Johnny keeled his banana and took a bite out of it. His eyes widen as he chewed.

"I don't if it's because I'm really hungry or not, but this is the best banana I have ever eaten! You see, Smoke? Not everyone's so bad."

"She is a child. She has yet to comprehend that a war is happening around her."

Thinking about the girl, Tomas thought about the way she looked at him. She seemed… curious about the ninja in particular. Did he do something that interested the child?

"Hey, look over there!"

Johnny pointed at a canine-like creature that was sleeping nearby. It had horns in place of ears and four eyes. The animal was not even aware of their presence. Sub-zero wanted to keep it that way.

"I do not know what that creature is, but I think it would be best that we let it be."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Kuai was surprised that Cage had actually agreed with him. And without any sort of protest.

"Alright. So, we should go on…"

Before Sub-zero could finish his sentence, Johnny sprinted towards the animal. He held his hands up high in the air as he ran.

"I'm sorry, but I have to touch it!"

"Dammit, Cage! You idiot!"

Kuai ran after the actor while Tomas stayed behind. A part of him wanted Johnny to reach the animal before Sub-zero caught him. The ninja could imagine it now: the beast wakes up just as Cage is about to touch and the actor runs away with the animal on his tail. It sounded like a scene from a cartoon. The thought made Smoke smile under his mask.

He was about to go help Sub-zero, but Tomas stopped when he saw something in the corner of his eye. At a run-down house nearby, the girl he saw earlier was sitting on some steps. She was looking straight at him and Smoke looked back. A few seconds went by before a voice from inside the house called to the child. The little girl kept her eyes on Tomas and did not look away until she was at the door. She turned and went inside the house.

Smoke did not know why, but he was curious about the girl. As well as the house itself. He could feel a strange energy coming from it. It was not bad, but it was not good either. Without thinking, the ninja headed towards the girl's home and walked up the steps. He stopped in front of the door and took a look around.

The windows were boarded up and from the cracks between the boards, Tomas could see only darkness. If he had not seen the girl go inside, the ninja would have thought no one was home. He raised his hand to knock on the door.

"You can come in."

Smoke had not even touched the door before a voice beckoned him inside. He was hesitant about coming in, but his curiosity got the better of him. Tomas slowly opened the door and walked inside. He did not see the child anywhere. In fact, he could not see anything. It was not until a light resonated from a room to Smoke's left that he knew where he was going.

Tomas went into the room and could not believe what he was seeing. Despite what the house looked like on the outside, the inside was pretty decent. In the room Smoke was currently in, there were shelves with what looked like family photos on them and a few sets of flowers were placed around the area. A red carpet with gold embroidery on the edges of it decorated the floor and a brown table sat in the middle of it.

Sitting behind the table, an small, elderly woman was messing with some colored beads that she was using to make a bracelet. Plenty of those bracelets adorned her arms and a few hung from her short, graying hair. The old woman did not look up as Smoke approached the table, but she knew he was there.

"Hello, young man."

"… Hello."

Tomas was being wary of the woman. The energy he felt was not coming from the house. It was practically pouring from the old lady. She must have sensed the ninja's discomfort because she dropped her beads on the table and looked up. Her eyes were pure white with gray swirling around in them. Almost like looking at the sky on a rainy day. The woman smiled softly at her guest.

"Please, there is no need to be so tense. I am only an old woman."

"Yes, but looks can be deceiving."

"Wise words."

The elderly lady held her hand to the wooden chair in front of her.

"Have a seat."

"I am fine standing up, thank you."

"I insist. Please."

The woman kept a smile on her face, encouraging Smoke. He sighed, but he pulled out the chair and sat down before the lady. She went back to playing with her beads.

"May I ask why you decided to come to my home?"

" To be honest, I was looking for a little girl that came in here. I just wanted to make sure she was alright."

"Dies she have blonde hair and green eyes?"

"Yes, she does."

"I see. Soliel likes to wander, but I know she can take care of herself. But I still cannot help but worry about her."

At least now Tomas knew the girl's name.

"Is she your granddaughter?"

"No, actually. In fact, I am not related to her at all. I found her as a baby in an alleyway about seven years ago. To this day, Soliel still has not spoken a word to anyone."

"Is she a mute?"

"She is capable of speech, but I suppose she just chooses not to talk. I cannot force her to speak if she does not want to."

The old woman fell silent as she fiddled with her beads again. After a moment, she spoke up again.

"You seem lost."

"Excuse me?"

"I am sorry. I did not mean to be rude, it is just… is something bothering you?"

Yes. A lot was bothering Smoke, but he was not going to tell a stranger about it.

"Let's just say that a lot has happened since the Mortal Kombat tournament began."

"You are fighting in the tournament?"

"Yes. I am fighting for Earthrealm."

"I thought so."

"Is that a problem?"

The woman laughed. It was reasonable for Tomas to expect her to throw him out once she knew he was an Earthrealmer. She should not even have the ninja in her house.

"I have no quarrel with Earthrealm. You are welcomed here."

"… Thank you."

"Gratitude is not necessary. But you could tell me your name."

"I am called Smoke."

"Smoke? I do hope that is a nickname."

"Ha, ha. It is, I assure you."

"Thank the gods. My name is Esme. It is a pleasure to meet you."

The old lady held her hand out to Tomas. The ninja grabbed her hand and shook it. As soon as he touched the woman, Smoke started to feel light-headed. Esme held on to Tomas' hand.

"I feel your pain, your grief, your anger… such a spiral of emotions within you."

"What are you… talking…?"

"You are fighting an internal battle in your mind. Something terrible is trying to claw its way to the surface. And it has succeeded on a number of occasions."

Smoke placed his free hand on his forehead and closed his eyes. What was wrong with him?

"Who are you, Smoke? What are you?"

"Just… stop."

Tomas squeezed Esme's hand and the pressure of his grip caused the woman to help in pain. He opened his eyes and looked up at the old lady. Esme gasped as she saw that his eyes were no longer their normal silver color. They were blood red.

"What in the name of…"

_"STOP!"_

An incredible force separated the two, causing Smoke to let go of Esme. The woman fell backwards and her hit head against the wall while Tomas fell out of his chair and landed on the floor. It took Esme some time to get up as she clutched the back of her head. It throbbed horribly, but she was not going to allow herself to pass out. She went to the other side of the table to check on Smoke, but surprisingly, he was not alone.

Kneeling beside the unconscious ninja, a man with short, graying-black hair had two fingers on Smoke's neck to check his pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a strong pulse from the ninja. The man looked up at Esme, who was standing a few feet away.

"You are messing with a force you do not understand, Esme. That is going to get you killed."

"… Who are you?"

That was not the question she wanted to ask, but it was the only one Esme could manage to speak out. The man in front of her shook his head.

"I am the man who just saved your life, witch."


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three: Time is Precious

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Time is Precious**

"You really are an idiot."

Sub-zero had Johnny's arm slung over his shoulders. The actor had some scratches and was a bit disoriented, but despite all that, he was still in one piece. Cage had gotten one little poke in before the creature of his interest awoke from his slumber. It tried to claw out his throat and would have succeeded if not for the efforts of one brave little boy. It turned out that the beast was the kid's pet, so he was easily able to tame the animal before things got out of hand. Cage held a hand to his forehead.

"But I still touched it. It was the best two seconds of my life."

"I will never understand you, nor do I want to."

"Your loss."

They stopped when they reached the spot where Kuai had left Tomas with Cyrax. The robot was slumped against some crates, but Smoke was nowhere to be found. Sub-zero frowned.

"Did you see where Smoke went?"

"No. I wonder where he's gone off to."

This was worrisome. Tomas would not just wander off, especially in a place like this. Kuai looked all around for his friend, but he did not see Smoke anywhere. Instead, the cryomancer saw Shang Tsung coming their way. The sorcerer had a smug look on his face as he approached the Earthrealmers.

"Ah, there you all are. I see you are enjoying yourselves."

He looked over at Johnny Cage and the scratches that decorated his body. Shang Tsung then looked at Sub-zero.

"I apologize for my intrusion, but the emperor requests that you return to the Coliseum. He wishes to continue with the tournament."

The sorcerer suddenly frowned when he realized that there was a few people missing.

"Where is the thunder god? And Smoke?"

"They will return momentarily. You need not worry, sorcerer."

"Oh, I assure you, I am not worried. But if Earthrealm's warriors fail to show in the next ten minutes, would that not count as a forfeit?"

Johnny scowled at the sorcerer.

"You're really that much of an asshole that you'd do that?"

"I do not make the rules, Johnny Cage. If you have any complaints, the emperor would be thrilled to hear them."

That shut Cage up and Shang Tsung wanted to laugh at the display. He kept his composure though.

"Ten minutes. Do not keep Shao Kahn waiting."

In a flash of green, Shang Tsung disappeared. Johnny shook his head and placed a hand his hip.

"Jesus. What the hell do we do now?"

"We go to the Coliseum."

"What!? What about…!?"

"You heard what Shang Tsung said. I have no doubt that Shao Kahn will use our absence to claim victory for the tournament. We can not allow him to do so."

I know, but…aren't you the least bit worried about your friend?"

Kuai sighed. Of course he was worried, but the cryomancer knew that Tomas would tell him to go. The tournament is more important, he would say.

"Smoke can take care of himself."

Sub-zero said no more as he walked past Cage and headed to the Coliseum. Johnny sighed, but he followed Kuai.

"I really hope that you're right."

In another plane of reality, Smoke groaned as he opened his eyes. White clouded his vision and the intensity of it caused the ninja's head to hurt. He sat up and looked around at his surroundings, which only consisted of small projections that floated in the air. Those were familiar sights.

"Back so soon, huh?"

Tomas around and saw Pyros walking to him. The telepath stood beside Smoke and offered his hand to help the ninja up. Back on his feet, Tomas pulled his mask and cowl off and ran a hand through his hair. Pyros arched an eyebrow.

"If they are so uncomfortable, why do you continue to wear them?"

Smoke looked down at his mask. A small smile crossed his face.

"It is uncomfortable, yet… it feels familiar. Homey, even."

Pyros nodded, understanding what the ninja meant. He turned around and started scanning the screens. One memory caught his eye and he smiled at it. The projection showed a young Tomas eating ice cream with his master Hydro. That was the first time the boy had ever eaten the frozen treat. His sifu definitely spoiled his students.

"Pyros?"

The telepath turned back to Smoke.

"Yes?"

"…We need to talk."

The seriousness in Tomas' tone worried Pyros. He nodded his head to urge the ninja to continue.

"I know you saw what happened in that house with Esme. Or…whatever her name is."

"Yes, and do not worry about her, she is…"

"I do not care about her right now."

"…Oh?"

"There is someone else I wish to speak to you about. Something else."

Pyros clasped his hands behind his back. He had a feeling he knew where this conversation was headed. Smoke continued.

"When Esme grabbed me, I felt this strange presence well up within me. A dark…sinister presence. It tried to stop Esme from doing whatever it was she was doing to me. It was incredibly angry with her."

"But that was not the first time this thing has appeared. Back in Zhu Zin, when I saw Kuai on the ground being tortured by the Grandmaster, an amazing power flowed through me. It was…overwhelming. Everything went black and the next thing I know, me and Kuai are in Outworld. I did not remember anything until my fight with Kitana. Something kept telling me to kill her."

Pyros listened to what Smoke had to say without uttering a word. The whole time Tomas kept his eyes glued to the mask in his hands, but at one point, he stopped talking and looked at the telepath.

"Is there something you are keeping from me, Pyros?"

"Tomas… I wish I could tell you what you want to know, but I cannot…"

"Why not!?"

Smoke's outburst surprised Pyros. Not that the ninja cared.

"I am SICK of being left in the dark. Do you know how much this is killing me!? Lying to people I care about and saying everything is fine!? Everything is not fine! I am not fine!"

"Tomas…"

"No! I have no idea what is wrong with me! But you know, don't you?"

"There is nothing wrong with you, my boy!"

"Then what is this!? What is going on!?"

Pyros opened his mouth to say something, but he quickly shut it. Smoke shook his head and turned away from the telepath. He closed his eyes and folded his arms over his chest. The ninja just wanted to block out everything, even if it was for only a minute. It felt like forever with the two standing in silence.

The area around Tomas suddenly felt colder and it made the ninja open his eyes. Snow was falling from a night sky and trees surrounded Smoke. He held out his hands and watched as snow fell on them.

"Where are we?"

Voices in the distance answered his question before Pyros could. The telepath walked forward a few steps and Tomas followed. Pyros stopped and looked in the direction of the voices, which belonged to two figures that were walking by. The one walking in front was a buff man with brown hair and the person behind him was a boy with black hair. The taller one, probably the child's father, was holding a small evergreen tree in his hands.

"Your mother's going to be so happy."

The taller person was speaking in Czech. His voice was gruff, yet at the same time, it sounded caring and gentle as he talked to the kid.

"Yeah."

"You going to help her decorate the tree again?"

"Yeah."

The man looked back at the boy and frowned. The child had his head down and was playing with his fingers. It looked like something was bothering him.

"Something wrong, kiddo?"

"…No."

The man sighed and stopped walking. He turned to the boy and kneeled so they were at eye level.

"Okay, spill it."

"It's nothing, Dad."

"Apparently something's eating you and I want to know what it is."

The child looked away and dropped his hands at his sides.

"You'll laugh if I tell you."

At this, the boy's father did laugh.

"See, you're laughing now!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I promise I won't laugh at you again, okay?"

"…You promise?"

"Of course. And you know I never break promises."

The child finally looked into his father's eyes, which matched his own green ones. He shuffled his feet to warm himself up.

"Dad…is Santa real?"

The father smiled while trying his best not to chuckle. He put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I…was talking to my friends and they said they don't believe in Santa Claus. They said that anyone who believes in Santa is a big baby."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. Do you believe in Santa, Dad?"

The man looked up at the sky trying to figure out what he should say. He chose his words carefully so his child could understand him.

"Kiddo… Santa is as real as you make him to be. As long as you believe in him, he is as real as you and me."

"So, I'm not a baby if I believe?"

"No, you're not. If you think Santa's real, then keep believing. There's nothing wrong with that."

The boy smiled at his father's words. That made his dad smile even harder and he ruffled his son's hair.

"Better?"

The boy nodded.

"Good. Now…"

The man lifted his son from the ground and placed him on his shoulder. He used his other hand to pick up the tree.

"We should go on home before your mom gets worried."

"Okay. Maybe she'll make hot chocolate when we get back."

"With extra marshmallows."

They laughed and walked on, unaware that they were being watched. Smoke came out of the shadows with Pyros right behind him.

"That boy…it was me, wasn't it?"

"Yes."

"And the man with him…that is my father?"

"Yes."

Tomas continued to watch his younger self and his father walk home. He thought about how kind and loving the man seemed. He reminded the ninja so much of Hydro. Smoke turned around to face Pyros.

"You showed me this for a reason, didn't you?"

"I did."

"So…what is that reason?"

"To show you that people will lie to you, even those who care about you. Your father lied about Santa Claus because he did not want to hurt your feelings. Are you angry with him for that?"

"Of course not. I would have done the same th…"

"Yes, you would have. And does that make you a terrible person?"

"No, but…"

"Exactly. There is a time and place for everything, Tomas, and right now…you are not ready to hear the truth."

"You do not know that."

"Unfortunately, I do. If I told you what you wanted to know here and now, things will not end well for you."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Pyros put his hands on Smoke's shoulders. The ninja was about to walk away, but Pyros kept him in place.

"Listen, my boy. I asked to be your guide because I want to help you find the answers you seek, not keep them from you. All will be revealed, I just…I am asking you to give me some time."

"…How much more time?"

"I am honestly not sure, but….it will be worth it in the end, I swear to you."

Tomas shook his head. He was irritated with telepath, but something was telling him that Pyros was right. Maybe the ninja was a little too eager to find out about his past. He just needed to be patient. Or at least try to be patient.

"…Alright. I'll wait."

"Thank you, Tomas."

"But I cannot promise you that I will wait forever."

"I know, and hopefully you will not have to wait that long."

Pyros' hands were starting to go through Smoke. It looks like Tomas is waking up. The telepath smiled at the ninja.

"We will talk another time then."

"Yes. Another time."

Tomas faded away and Pyros was left standing in the snow.


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four: Damsel in Distress

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Damsel in Distress**

Smoke, now back to reality, opened his eyes and instinctively put a hand up to his face. He knew he had taken off his mask in his dream, but the ninja still felt the need to check if the garment was in place. A habit from being in the Lin Kuei for all those years. Tomas sighed at the thought.

The ninja heard giggles near him and he jolted upright into a sitting position. At the end of his bed, Smoke saw three kids standing there looking at him. They gasped when Tomas got up and they even took a few steps away from him. Smoke had to admit, he must have looked very intimidating with his outfit. Not to mention that he was also a complete stranger.

The one at the front of the trio was a girl with curly, red hair and blue eyes. She was the shortest of the three. The boy to her right was about the same as her and has dark brown hair with matching brown eyes. Beside him was another boy, but he was a few inches taller than the other two. He has shoulder-length black hair and hazel eyes. The three children stared at Tomas for a moment or two before someone else walked into the room.

"What have I told you three!?"

The kids looked back and there in the doorway stood Esme. She looked upset.

"I do not want you bothering our guest. Now go on downstairs."

The children nodded and quickly ran out the door. Once they were out of sight, Esme turned to Tomas, who was starting to get out of his bed. The old woman went to his side to stop him.

"No, no, no. You need to lie back down and regain your stren…"

"Listen, Esme. I do not know what you were trying to do to me before, but if you think I am going to give you another chance…"

"I am not going to do anything!"

"And why should I believe you?"

A knock on the door made Smoke and Esme look at the entrance to the room. Soliel was standing there with a glass of water in her hands. Esme shook her head.

"Honey, I thought I told you to stay with your brothers and sister."

The girl ignored and walked into the room. She stopped beside Tomas and held the glass up to him. She would not move until the ninja accepted the water.

"Thank you...Soliel."

Soliel said nothing, but she gave Smoke a small nod and went back outside. She closed the door behind her and went downstairs. Esme sighed and smiled.

"I don't know what I am going to do with that girl."

"Well, she must have learned from you that it is okay to interact with strangers."

Tomas, ignoring his body's protest to stay on the bed, grunted as he stood up and walked past Esme. The woman grabbed Smoke's arm before he went out the door.

"Look, I know after what I did that you do not trust, but please believe me when I say I meant you no harm."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I was only trying to help. Clearly, your friend did not appreciate that."

"My friend?"

"He called himself…Pyros, if my memory is correct."

So Pyros had revealed himself to Esme. What could the woman have been doing to draw Pyros out?

"As soon as you entered my home, I knew there was something unusual about you. Your aura…it is unlike anything I have ever felt before. But do you know why that is?"

"No, I do not and right now, I do not have time to care. My comrades are probably upset with because of my sudden absence, so I should return to them as soon as I can."

Smoke took his arm out of Esme's grasp and grabbed the door's handle. Before he went out though, the ninja remembered he still had the glass of water in his other hand. He placed the glass on a dresser to his right and then opened the door. Tomas went down a staircase with Esme behind him and when he reached the bottom of the steps, the ninja saw Soliel and her siblings looking sitting in the room with flowers. Smoke and the children looked at each other for a few seconds in silence. He wanted to say something to the kids, something to reassure them that Tomas was not a scary person, but he did not know what to say. Since he came in as a stranger, maybe it was best that the ninja left as one.

"Tomas, please."

Esme calling Smoke by his real name made him scowl at the woman. He did not recall telling her anything but his codename.

"What did you just say?"

"I called you Tomas, I know. The only reason I know that is because, like Pyros, I can read minds as well. That is what I was doing before with you. I really was trying to help. I want to help you."

Smoke did not look back at Esme as she talked. Instead, he looked directly at Soliel and she looked right back at him.

"Thank you for the water, little one."

Once he said that, Tomas went out the front door and started walking back to the Marketplace. Esme just stood there and watched as the door closed behind Smoke with a sad look on her face. She looked down at the floor and whispered a silent prayer for the ninja and hoped that he would come back at another time. And when that time came, she hoped Tomas would be more than willingly to accept her help.

Back in the streets, Smoke found his way back to the spot where Johnny had seen the Taigore. Neither of his comrades, or even the creature, were there.

"They must have headed to the Coliseum."

As the ninja turned around, something, or someone, crashed into him and they both fell to the ground. The newcomer fell right on top of Tomas.

"Oh no, please forgive me, I…!"

Smoke looked up and his face was just inches away from a masked woman. She had dark skin and the brightest, emerald green eyes Tomas has ever seen. Her outfit was similar to Kitana's, except her clothes were green and black with gold accessories and her black hair was tied back into a long ponytail. She had placed her hands on the sides of Smoke's head to push herself, but stopped for some reason as she examined the person beneath her.

"An Earthrealmer."

She simply stated the fact and Tomas nodded to confirm it.

"Yes, I am."

The woman looked back when she heard shouting from the distance. The voices were getting closer to where she and Smoke are. She scrambled to her feet and ushered for Tomas to do the same.

"We need to go, now!"

"Wait, "we"?"

"Did I stutter? Come on!"

The girl grabbed Smoke's arm and with incredible strength, she hoisted the ninja from the ground. She then dragged Tomas to a nearby alleyway and told him to press himself against the wall.

"She could not have gotten far! Find her!"

The woman recognized the voice. It belonged to the tarkatan, Baraka. He was leading a small search party of tarkatan to find her. The girl held her breath as the creatures passed her and Smoke. Once they were gone, she slowly walked out of her hiding spot with Tomas behind her.

"I hope I am not too late."

"Too late for what?"

The woman turned around to face Smoke. The ninja had his arms folded across his chest.

"Forgive me for rushing you here without an explanation, but it had to be done."

"Why? Why are those tarkatan after you?"

"I…I am a friend of princess Kitana. My name is Jade and I am seeking Lord Raiden's aid."

"For what purpose?"

"I will explain, but we should not stay here. We must…"

Jade stopped when she saw more tarkatan coming their way. Again, she pulled Smoke out of the creatures' sight. She then nodded her head to her right.

"This way. The tarkatan rarely go to the Wastelands."

"The Wastelands!? I must return to the Coliseum for…"

"Shao Kahn is preoccupied at the moment. There is no need to worry about the tournament right now."

Jade started to walk ahead, but she immediately stopped when a cloud of smoke suddenly blocked her path. Tomas emerged from the smoke cloud.

"Explain. Now."

The woman sighed. The look in Smoke's eyes told Jade that he was not moving until she told him what was going on.

"Kitana is going to be executed."

"…What?"

"She disobeyed the emperor and entered the Flesh Pits. There, Kitana discovered the truth behind Shang Tsung's experiments. The sorcerer was creating replicas of the princess using tarkatan blood, and now…he has the perfect clone."

"Was the emperor aware of these clones?"

"…Yes. In fact, he was the one who ordered Shang Tsung to make those horrid replicas. Kitana did not know this and in a fit of rage, she went to the emperor to tell him of the sorcerer's experimentation. Now she has been imprisoned and is going to be replaced by a tarkatan clone. The daughter Shao Kahn has always desired."

Smoke could not believe this. Kitana's own father has disowned her and has replaced her with a replica. Was the princess that terrible of a daughter?

"Where is she now?"

"In the Tower in Shao Kahn's fortress."

"Then we should go to her."

Tomas walked past Jade, but the woman stopped him before he could get too far.

"I tried to get Kitana out of there myself, but guards appeared before I could free her of her bounds. The Tower is probably surrounded with guards now that they know I was trying to free the princess. We will be heavily outnumbered."

Jade was right. The fortress would be on high-alert now. No one was going to get anywhere near Kitana. Smoke thought about teleporting Kitana out of there, but quickly decided against it. It took a lot of energy and concentration just to teleport himself. If Tomas had Kitana with him, he would not be able to get far.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Kitana asked me to find Lord Raiden. Do you know of his whereabouts?"

"He left my comrades and I in the Wastelands some time ago. I am not sure if he has returned to Outworld yet."

"I see. For the time being, we should continued to the Wastelands. It will distance us from any pursuers and we can think of a plan while we are there."

Smoke nodded and they headed out of the Marketplace. It did not take long for them to reach the Wastelands. As Jade said, hardly anyone, especially the tarkatan, went to the Wastelands. Fortunately, the area was vacant of anyone besides the two fighters. Jade looked back in the direction they came to see if anyone had followed them.

"I think we lost the tarkatan for now."

"Good, but we should still keep our guard up. Who knows if…"

A flash of pink interrupted Tomas and he and Jade turned to the source of it. A woman wearing a revealing, pink outfit with gold lining appeared nearby. She had shoulder-length black hair and bright, orange eyes with black slits for pupils. At first glance, some may confuse her with Kitana. But Jade was not fooled and immediately recognized the woman.

"By the gods…you are Mileena!"

"Mileena?"

The woman in pink laughed as Jade called her name.

"The one and only, dear Jade."

Milena then looked over at Smoke and she smiled under her mask.

"And I see you have brought a friend. An Earthrealmer I presume?"

"And if he is?"

In a childish manner, Milena clapped her hands together and jumped up and down a few times.

"Jade, no need to be so aggressive. You would not want Kitana to be angry with you for being so rude to her sister, do you?"

It was then that Tomas was able to figure out who Mileena was. Or rather what she was.

"You are the clone, aren't you?"

Mileena froze. Her hands dropped to her sides and she scowled at Smoke.

"What did you refer to me as, Earthrealmer? I am no clone. I am the true princess of Outworld!"

"You are nothing but a monstrosity. Do not dare refer to yourself as a princess. You are not Kitana!"

Jade extended her pole and Smoke got into his fighting stance. Mileena laughed again.

"That is right. I am not Kitana. In fact, there is to be a celebration for her."

What Mileena said next sent chills down Jade's spine. The clone started to whisper in a sing-songy voice.

"She is going away."


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five: Loyalty

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Loyalty**

Mileena charged at Smoke and Jade with a sai in each hand. Jade pushed Tomas out of the way as she blocked Mileena's weapons with her pole.

"Stay out of this, Smoke! She is mine!"

"We should fight together. We can defeat Mileena quicker and find the others so we can rescue Kitana!"

Jade deflected another attack from her opponent and then fell back to Smoke.

"This is a matter of honor. This abomination dares to claim that she is royalty. That she is worthy of the title of princess and Kitana is not. I cannot let that stand."

A huge spark flew towards Smoke and Jade's heads and they quickly dodged the projectile. It then headed to Mileena, who used one of her sais to cut through the projectile. The spark dispersed in the air into small particles of light.

"Your Highness!"

Sprinting across the beach, Baraka had his arm blades extended and ready to cut through any mass of flesh that got in his way. His eyes quickly landed on Jade.

"You will pay for your treachery, Edenian."

"Aw. Did someone forget to give you a treat, dog?"

The tarkatan growled and stomped towards Jade, but Smoke blocked his path.

"Your fight will be with me, tarkatan."

"This matter does not concern you, Earthrealmer. Stay out of it."

"I am afraid I cannot."

Tomas then glanced back at Jade.

"I will take care of the tarkatan. Do what you will with Mileena."

Jade nodded and scowled at Kitana's clone. Mileena was not at all intimidated by the Edenian. In fact, she was excited for the oncoming battle.

"So, shall we dance, Jade?"

"With pleasure."

The two women charged at each other and their weapons clashed. That was Smoke and Baraka's cue to begin their own battle.

"You will regret getting in my way, ninja."

"We shall see."

With a roar, Baraka charged at Tomas with his blades. Smoke dodged and blocked the tarkatan's barrage of attacks. When an opening appeared, the ninja pulled a kunai knife from his boot and slashed it across Baraka's chest. The wound was not deep, but it was enough to make the tarkatan fall back. Baraka looked angrily at his wound.

"How dare you!?"

Enraged, Baraka sent a wave of sparks from his blades, all of which Tomas avoided by cut through them with his knife. As the last spark dissipated before Smoke, temporarily blinding the ninja, Baraka rushed to him and thrusted a blade at his face. At the last second, Tomas tilted his head just enough so he would not be decapitated, but the blade still made a cut across his cheek. The ninja's mask was broken yet again, just when Raiden was kind enough to fix it after his fight with Sektor.

Baraka did not waste anytime and swung another blade at Tomas' head. The ninja ducked under the blade and countered with a punch to Baraka's gut. The tarkatan doubled over and before he could recover, Smoke created a smoke bomb that exploded against Baraka's chest. The explosion had way more force than the ninja had intended, but it did the job. Baraka was sent flying and he landed harshly on the ground. Fortunately, the sand cushioned his fall.

Baraka used his blades to hoist himself up from the ground, but he immediately fell back down. The pain that coursed through his body was so overwhelming that the tarkatan felt as though he was going to pass out. His rage and determination were the only things keeping him conscious. Baraka sneered at Tomas as the ninja approached him.

"Do not think you have won, Earthrealmer. Even if you defeat me, others will come after you. Your efforts are futile."

"Think what will, but I will continue to fight until my dying breath. Shao Kahn will not have his way."

"You dare say that about the emperor!?"

With the last bit of strength he had, Baraka again slashed his blade at Smoke. The ninja morphed into smoke just before the blade could reach him and reappeared behind the tarkatan. Smoke then wrapped his arms around Baraka and performed a German suplex. As the tarkatan tried to lift himself from the sand, Tomas turns around and kicks Baraka right in his face. Baraka flips backwards and lands on his back. The tarkatan was finally knocked out.

Now that Baraka was down, Smoke's attention was drawn to Jade's fight with Mileena. The Edenian was struggling to keep up with Mileena's attacks. They were so erratic and fast that Jade was having a hard time avoiding the clone's strikes. Mileena noticed this and it made her want to laugh even more.

"What is wrong, Jade? Do not tell me you are giving up already!"

Mileena then rolled herself into a ball and rolled into Jade's legs causing her to lose her balance. She fell hard on her side. Jade used her pole to pull herself back to her feet.

"Do not worry, Jade."

Jade thrusted her weapon into the sand and leaned against it while holding her injured side. Mileena walked towards the Edenian, giggling like a child.

"When I see my sister again at her execution, I will tell her how much fun it was to kill you!"

Mileena raised one of her sais above Jade's head and prepared to land a finishing blow. Just as the sai was coming down upon her, Jade reached for behind her and pulled out what appeared to be a boomerang. She threw the projectile by Mileena's head and while the clone was distracted by the boomerang, a green aura surrounded Jade giving her incredible speed. She rushed behind Mileena and Jade thrusted the end of her pole to the back of her opponent's skull. The effect was immediate and Mileena dropped to the ground unconscious. Jade towered over Mileena's body and scowled.

"I am more of a sister to Kitana than you."

Her boomerang returned to her shortly and the Edenian caught it just as it was an inch away from her face. Jade hissed at the pain in her side and looked down to see a huge bruise forming on it.

"Are you alright?"

The Edenian gasped when she realized that Smoke was right behind her. She had been so busy with her injury that she did not sense Tomas' presence. Sloppy. Jade regained her composure and tried her best not to show that she was in pain.

"I am fine. You need not worry about me."

Smoke simply nodded, but he could not help but stare at the bruise on Jade's side. The longer he looked at it, the more Tomas wanted to go over to Mileena and finish her off himself. But why?

"We must continue on."

Jade's voice pulled Smoke from his thoughts and looked up at her.

"Yes. We should go before any one else shows up."

"Hopefully will run into one of your comrades and they will have Raiden with them."

"He is here."

Smoke and Jade turned around and saw lightning crashing into the ground on the other side of the beach. From it, Raiden, Sub-zero, Johnny Cage, and two other people Tomas did not recognize. Looking at their attire, Smoke assumed they were monks. Jade started to walk forwards to meet the thunder god and Tomas quickly followed. One of the monks was walking a lot faster than the rest of the group and he did not look happy.

"Kitana turns away from Shao Kahn so you attack her rather than join her!?"

The monk was pointing at Mileena's body. Smoke and Jade were confused, but they soon realized that the monk must have thought the clone was really Kitana. Jade held up her hand and tried to explain.

"Wait, this is not…!"

"Liu Kang, stop! That is not Kitana!"

Raiden held his other warriors back as he to convince the monk that the woman in pink was not the princess. Liu Kang, however, was not listening to the god and he continued to walk. Tomas knew Jade was weak from her fight with Mileena, so as the monk approached them, the ninja stepped in front of Jade to keep Liu Kang's attention on him.

"I know she bears quite the resemblance to the princess, but I swear to you, she is not…"

"Lies! Do you take me for a fool, ninja?"

"We can prove it. Look."

Smoke slowly bent down beside Mileena's body and reached for her mask. If what Jade said was true about how the clone was created, then one important detail would stick out. Tomas took of Mileena's mask and small gasps escaped from him, Jade, and Liu Kang. A huge mouth filled with sharp, elongated teeth was revealed. The mouth of a tarkatan.

"I do not know whether you have seen Kitana with out her mask or not, but I am sure she looks nothing like this."

Liu Kang was speechless as he looked at Mileena. How could he have confused that with Kitana?

"…What is that?"

"A clone of Kitana. Shang Tsung has been making replicas of the princess using tarkatan blood."

Jade stepped from behind Smoke.

"And Shao Kahn was behind it all."

Liu Kang felt embarrassed and guilty for his behavior earlier. He bowed before Smoke and Jade apologetically.

"Forgive me. I should have listened to you instead of jumping to conclusions."

Raiden came forward and stood beside Liu Kang. Tomas left Jade to speak with the thunder god and he went to check on Sub-zero. The cryomancer stood with Johnny Cage and the other monk, but surprisingly, Smoke did not see Cyrax.

"Where is Cyrax, Sub-zero?"

"Raiden sent him to the Special Forces base. Sonya agreed to look after Cyrax as a favor to me. But enough about that, where have you been!?"

Johnny nodded while adjusting his shades.

"Yeah, and what are you doing with HER?"

The actor pointed at Jade.

"I thought she was a bad guy. Bad girl, I mean."

Tomas shrugged.

"She is a friend of Kitana and now that the princess has turned against her father, she will be executed."

"Executed!? You mean the that evil douchebag is going to kill his own daughter!?"

"That is what Jade told me. Kitana asked her to find Raiden and ask for his help, so when we crossed paths, Jade asked me to assist her and that is how we ended up here."

The monk beside Cage finally spoke up.

"Do you know where she is now?"

"In the Tower of Shao Kahn's fortress."

The monk nodded. He then extended his hand to Smoke.

"I am Kung Lao. I apologize for my cousin's accusations earlier. He will not admit it, but I believe Liu Kang has feelings for Kitana."

That explains Liu Kang's reaction before. Tomas took Kung Lao's hand and shook it.

"I am Smoke."

"Smoke…pleasure to meet you."

Tomas nodded. He turned back to Sub-zero, who was still waiting for an answer for his question earlier. Smoke sighed.

"It is a long story, my friend. I will tell you another time, but now we should worry about Kitana."

The four men heard shouting from Liu Kang and they looked over to see the Shaolin monk and Raiden arguing. They decided they should see what was going on. As they approached, Raiden was speaking.

"I am not pleased with this outcome either, Liu Kang. But there is no time. We must return to the tournament."

"But you are responsible for her capture! You persuaded her to turn against Shao Kahn!"

Kung Lao stopped beside his cousin and looked at Raiden.

"Smoke told us what is going on. We should go to the Tower."

"Apparently, that would not be wise."

Liu Kang glanced at Raiden indicating that the thunder god was the problem. Kung Lao felt he should come up with a solution before this argument escalated.

"Lord Raiden, we can free Kitana as others fight in our stead, and join you thereafter."

Raiden thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head to Kung Lao.

"Very well."

The monks nod to each other and as Kung Lao walks away, Liu Kang looks at Raiden in disdain before following his cousin. Raiden watches the two go and Kung Lao shouts something back to the god.

"We will meet you at the Coliseum."

Once the two monks leave, Raiden turns back to Jade.

"Will you be joining us, Jade? I know you cannot participate in the tournament on Earthrealm's behalf, but I am sure you do not want to return to Shao Kahn."

"Yes, and I would be honored to join you and your champions, but there is something I must do first."

"May I ask what it is you must do?"

"I am going to destroy the Flesh Pits."

Everyone but Smoke was surprised by Jade's answer. He stepped up to her.

"That is where Milerna was created, right?"

"Right. I have never ventured into Shang Tsung's lab myself, but I know more of those tarkatan clones lie within its depths. They need to be disposed of."

"Then let me help you."

Raiden grabbed Tomas' shoulder.

"Smoke, you will be of much more use in the tournament."

"We will not be long, Lord Raiden. With my powers, we will easily reduce the Flesh Pits to ashes."

Raiden was losing warriors one by one and it was starting to irritate him. But he knew that Smoke and Jade were right. They really did not need those clones running around.

"…Alright. But please, hurry."

Tomas nodded and looked back at Kuai. The cryomancer was confused, but Sub-zero knew by now that he should not question Smoke's actions. So, he simply nodded and told his friend to be careful.

"And you better make it to the Coliseum. Understand?"

"Understood."

Smoke then ran off with Jade behind him and they made their way to the Flesh Pits.


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six: Sisterly Love

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Sisterly Love**

It did not take Smoke and Jade long to reach the Flesh Pits. The sound of their footsteps echoed as they descended down the concrete staircase. Blood puddles littered the floor and various instruments of torture hung on chains throughout the lab. Rotten, mutilated bodies laid on tables and the decaying smell that resonated from them were enough to make anyone gag. Fortunately, the two assassins had their masks on. Except…

"Dammit."

Jade looked at Smoke when he cursed.

"What is it?"

"Nothing to worry about. It is just this mask."

Tomas reached for the open slit on his mask that Baraka created in their battle. It would not have bothered him if not for the immense odor. Jade grabbed Smoke's chin and turned his head to the side to examine the cut.

"Is that the problem?"

"Yes, but…as I said it is…"

Jade's hand hovered over Tomas' cheek and from it, a green aura was being emitted. It poured into the damaged part of the ninja's mask and the energy started to stitch the slit back together. A few seconds later, the mask looked brand new.

"Is that better?"

Smoke placed his hand where the mask had been torn and was surprised when he felt no cut.

"Wow. Thank you."

"Just a small token of my appreciation."

"For what?"

"For helping me get this far. I do not know what would have become of me if you had not come."

Before Tomas could say anything else, Jade turned around and went deeper into the Flesh Pits. She looked around at the disfigured bodies that lied within huge tubes. They were engulfed in a green liquid and Smoke was not sure if he wanted to know what the liquid was.

"I should be honest with you."

Jade kept her eyes trained on one of the tubes as she spoke to Tomas. The ninja arched an eyebrow at the woman.

"Honest about what?"

"…I know about your encounter with Kitana. When Shao Kahn ordered her to eliminate you and your comrade."

"Yes. Kitana and I did fight. What about it?"

"Do you want to know what went through my mind as Kitana told me of the battle?"

Jade took out her boomerang and twirled it around in her hands. Smoke watched her, thinking about how Jade moved with such grace when she was doing a simple action.

"Kitana is my closest friend. My sister. Hearing her defeat by your hand angered me. I wanted to decapitate you and put your head on a stake. I wanted to strangle you with your own intestines and watch as your eyes were drained of life. I wanted to…"

"Alright! I understand your point."

Jade looked up from her boomerang and fluttered her eyelashes innocently at Smoke. It made it hard to believe that a second ago she was talking about torturing and murdering Tomas in several excruciatingly painful ways.

"I apologize. Was I being too forward?"

"Very."

"Oh. Well anyway, I wanted to make you pay for humiliating Kitana. But the more I thought about, the less my hate towards you became."

"Why was that?"

"…You did not kill her."

Jade looked away and started walking again. She walked past a table that was covered in blood and candles were spread across the corners of it. Smoke stood where he was, but he kept his eyes on Jade.

"As I told Kitana, there was no need to."

"I did not think the Lin Kuei needed a reason to kill anyone."

"I am not Lin Kuei."

Jade could hear the anger in Smoke's voice when she mentioned his former clan. She must have hit a nerve.

"I did not mean to upset you."

"…Forget it. We have taken up too much time anyway."

Tomas walked behind one of the human-sized tubes and pulled out a kunai knives. Inside the container, there was a tarkatan woman with stitches all over her body. This must have been a failed attempt of a Kitana clone. Smoke thrusted the hilt of the knife into the glass of the tube and quickly stepped away from it as cracks appeared with the unknown liquid bursting from them. The glass broke and the clone was thrown out of its prisoner by the liquid.

Jade approached the tarkatan's unconscious body and kneeled down to get a better look at it. She could tell that not all of its body parts belong to them and they must have been forcefully attached to them. Jade could imagine the torture these clones were forced to endure and it made her pity the clones. They did not ask to be created and now, she and Smoke were about to get rid of them all. The clones probably wanted to die, she reasoned with herself. It did not make her feel any better.

"Jade?"

The woman jerked her head up and looked at Tomas. His eyes showed concern for Jade and that made her shake her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to pull herself together.

"It is nothing."

Jade raised her boomerang to the clone's throat and was about to slice it open, but the sound of glass breaking from behind Smoke stopped her. Another tube had been destroyed and a clone was crouched on the ground. She looked exactly like Mileena, except she was practically naked with exception of a few bandages wrapped around her body. The clone snarled at the intruders.

"We seem to have some unexpected visitors, sisters."

The clone on the ground by Jade opened her eyes and growled as she grabbed the assassin's arm. Jade yelped as the tarkatan's fingers dug into her skin and trails of blood ran down her arm. Smoke quickly came to her aid and used his knife to slice the clone's throat. The stitches that connected her head to her neck were ripped apart and the tarkatan's head rolled across the floor. Tomas grabbed his ally and pulled her away from the decapitated body.

The Mileena clone started laughing in that annoying, child-like way that the two assassins felt they would never get out their heads.

"Now that wasn't very nice, was it!?"

More snarling and growling cane from the shadows. Tubes were busted and more clones were thrown in Smoke and Jade's way. The two stood back to back as the tarkatan replicas surrounded them. Jade extended her staff and Smoke held out his knives, ready to cut down anything that got near them. Some clones were missing limbs, some were missing eyes or toes. Everyone one of them looked like monsters from a horror movie.

"Kill them!"

Mileena shouted the command to her siblings and one by one, they lunged at their prey. Smoke effortlessly slayed the clones that came after him and Jade plunged her pole into the clones that tried to attack her while occasionally throwing her boomerang to make them go down faster. Most of the replicas had no real skill or power, so it was easy to take them down. It was like fight a horde of mindless zombies.

One of the clones was patiently waiting in the shadows, watching as her sisters were being slaughtered. This replica had eight legs like a spider and her eyes were all white. She patiently waited for an opening and as soon as she found one, the clone hurled itself at Jade from behind. Jade noticed too late and as she turned around to try to defend herself, a black blur zoomed past her and took the spider clone with it. The assassin watched as the replica was thrown to the ground by Tomas.

The ninja pulled out another knife and tried to get to the tarkatan's throat, but her extra arms kept getting in his way. The clone eventually managed to knock Smoke's weapon from his hand and throw him off of her. Now the spider clone had Tomas pinned to the floor while she tried to bite at his face. The ninja moved his head from side to side to avoid the tarkatan's teeth. One of her clawed hands tore off Smoke's cowl and his silver hair was released.

"Smoke!"

Jade sprinted to the struggling ninja, but she was stopped by Mileena. The clone grabbed Jade by her shoulders and threw her to the opposite end of the room. As the assassin was getting up from the ground, Mileena teleports to her and lifted Jade by her throat. The Edenian clawed at Mileena's hand desperately fighting free herself from the clone's grasp.

"So pretty. But I am sure you will look better in red."

Mileena's nails grew into black talons and she raised one of them to Jade's chest. She slowly started dragging her claw down the assassin's upper body and Jade screamed in pain. A jagged trail of blood now decorated the Edenian's body. Still fighting against the tarkatan spider, Smoke glanced at the two women when he heard Jade cry out. Everything seemed to slow down as Tomas saw what Mileena was doing to his ally. He needed to help her. He had to help her.

Smoke's chest suddenly felt heavy and it was making it hard for him to breathe. He knew what was causing it. The dark entity was back. It was trying to take control of Tomas again, but the ninja could not let it. If he lost control, there was no guarantee that Smoke would not harm Jade. Determined not to lose himself, Tomas closed his eyes and pushed the sinister being back to the depths of his mind. He could feel it struggling to break free, but the ninja managed to lock the entity away once more.

With the darkness gone for the time being, Smoke knew exactly what he needed to do. He concentrated on using his power to increase his body heat. Steam rose from Tomas' skin and the spider woman shrieked as her hands were burned by the heat. The ninja quickly grabbed the knife he had dropped before and slashed the tarkatan's throat open. She instantly fell to her side, dead, and Smoke did not waste any time as he ran to Mileena.

The clone was laughing as Jade's body was starting to go limp, but Mileena stopped when she felt someone coming up behind her. She had not time to react before a kunai knife was plunged into her chest, right to her heart. Mileena grasp on Jade loosened and the Edenian fell to the floor clutching her wound. Tomas came to her side and the two watched as Mileena dropped to her knees with blood pouring from her mouth. Eventually, the clone's eyes rolled to the back of her head and she stopped breathing. Falling to her side, Mileena was now dead.

Smoke made sure Mileena was not getting back up before checking on Jade. Her wound was deep and blood was still running from it. Tomas needed to get her back to Raiden as soon as possible.

"Jade, can you hear me?"

Jade had her eyes shut, trying to block out the pain. When she heard someone calling her, the assassin looked up with half-lidded eyes. Her vision was a little blurry from the blood loss, but she knew it was Smoke that had spoken to her and nodded to indicate that she heard him. Tomas nodded back.

"Can you stand?"

Again, Jade nodded and grabbed Smoke's arm to steady herself. She had barely gotten to her feet before she fell back down. The Edenian was too weak to stand on her own and it was a struggle for Jade to keep her eyes open. She shook her head.

"I…I can't…"

"It is alright. Here."

Smoke took Jade's right arm and wrapped it around his shoulders. Jade wanted to protest, but as soon as Tomas held her up in his arms, she did not have the strength to do anything at all. Instead, the Edenian rested her head on the ninja's chest and evened her breathing with his. The rise and fall of Tomas' chest soothed Jade and she felt so calm and relaxed that she soon closed her eyes. Before she allowed herself to fall asleep, Jade muttered something to Smoke that was was barely audible to the ninja.

"Thank…you."

Jade's body went limp in Smoke's arms and she was now unconscious. Tomas looked down at the woman for a moment before going back up the stairs. They would have to take care of the rest of Shang Tsung's lab another time. Right now, Jade's well-being was Smoke's top priority. He exited the Flesh Pits, leaving the tarkatan clones' bodies to rot. Once the two were gone, another man showed up and stepped near the body of the tarkatan that resembled Mileena. Pyros' eyes softened as he looked down at the deceased creature.

"You are now free. Rest peacefully. The man who made you all suffer for his own gain will soon pay for his deeds."

The telepath's hand ignited in flames and soon fire spreaded throughout the lab. The fire engulfed the bodies of the clones and melted away their skin. Pyros stood in the middle of it all, watching as everything burned to ashes. It did not take long for Smoke to smell the smoke created by the fire. He was halfway up the staircase when the smell, as well as the heat, reached him.

Tomas was about to turn back to see what was going on, but he quickly remembered that he needed to get Jade back to the Coliseum. He could not waste anymore time than he already had. His mind made up, Smoke continued up the stairs until he was out of the Flesh Pits.


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven: Free at Last

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Free at Last**

Back at the Coliseum, Kung Lao was fighting against the Shokan warrior Kintaro. Unlike the two other Shokan that were seen to work with Shao Kahn, the markings on Kintaro's body resemble that of a tiger and he has feline feet and claws. Liu Kang was trying to rescue Kitana, who had been chained to two posts near her father's throne. The Shaolin monk had ignored Raiden's order to fight in the tournament, so Kung Lao was fighting in his stead. Johnny Cage had been eliminated and Sub-zero was up next once Kung Lao was done.

Entering the arena, Smoke, still carrying an unconscious Jade, watched Kung Lao's match for a moment before being spotted by Raiden. The thunder god motioned for Tomas to come to him and the ninja jogged to Raiden's side.

"Jade is injured."

"Yes. Can you heal her, Lord Raiden? She is badly wounded and needs help immediately."

Raiden nodded and told Smoke to lay Jade down on the ground. While the god was healing Jade, Tomas walked over to where Sub-zero and Johnny Cage were sitting. Kuai instantly stood up once he saw his friend coming.

"Thank the Elder Gods. You had me worried, Smoke."

"Sorry, my friend. Jade and I had a few…inconveniences."

"I see that. How is she?"

Tomas looked over his shoulder. Lightning had engulfed Jade's body as Raiden was healing her. She squirmed a little from the foreign energy entering her body, but the Edenian soon relaxed. Smoke sighed.

"She will be fine."

"Yeah, don't worry, man. Jade'll be okay."

Johnny had finally gotten up from his spot on the ground and joined the two ninjas. He was shocked when he got a closer look at Smoke.

"Woah. Anime is real!"

"What?"

"Come on, you have hair like that and you're telling me you don't know what anime is?"

Tomas grabbed a strand of his silver hair and looked at it curiously. He knew what anime was, but the ninja did not think he looked like an anime character. Leave it to Johnny to point out something like that. Booing from the audience drew the warriors' attention to the battle that had just finished. Kung Lao was victorious and he began to bowed to the angry crowd while waving his hat.

The monk was too busy boasting over his victory that he did not notice the hulking figure coming behind him. Smoke's eyes widen when he realized what Shao Kahn planned. He was going to kill Kung Lao! The monk looked at Raiden with a huge grin on his face.

"See, Raiden? Earthrealm is fre…"

Kung Lao yelped as someone appeared beside him and shoved him out of the way of Shao Kahn's hammer. The weapon crashed into the ground and created a small crater. The emperor roared in anger and then turned to where Kung Lao and his savior were on the other side of the battlefield.

"You!"

Smoke had just gotten up with Kung Lao at his side and he did not have much time to react before Shao Kahn charged at the two. He was about to grab the monk and run, but someone came running from behind the two. Liu Kang flew into the air and used his bicycle kick to drive the emperor back. His attack did the job and once Shao Kahn was back to his side of the arena, Liu Kang got into his fighting stance.

"I shall battle the emperor. You two need to get away from here."

"But, my friend, we can…"

A hand squeezed Kung Lao's shoulder. The monk looked back and saw that it was Kitana who had stopped him. The princess shook her head.

"This is Liu Kang's fight. We should not interfere."

Kitana then turned to Smoke.

"Come. We should return to the others."

Tomas nodded, but he could see the hesitation in Kung Lao's eyes. Kitana starting pulling the monk away and reluctantly, Kung Lao allow to lead him back to their allies. Smoke was about to follow them, but Liu Kang stopped him.

"Thank you, Smoke."

The ninja looked over his shoulder. Liu Kang was still watching Shao Kahn, whose eyes were filled with rage towards Tomas. Liu Kang was not going to let the emperor attack anyone else.

"Thank you for saving Kung Lao. We are in your debt."

Smoke only nodded and then left so Liu Kang could fight. Shao Kahn propped his hammer on his shoulder and muttered something under his breath.

"You will pay, ninja…"

"Shao Kahn!"

The emperor scowled at Liu Kang as the monk addressed him.

"It is time to end this! You will face me now, tyrant!"

"Witless boy. Do you know who I am?"

"I know exactly who you are and that is why you must be stopped!"

Shao Kahn threw his head back and laughed at Liu Kang's response.

"I am Shao Kahn! Konqueror of worlds! You will taste no victory."

"You will taste your own blood!"

Liu Kang hurled a fireball at the emperor, which was quickly destroyed by Shao Kahn's hammer. The tyrant countered with a projectile of his own, a green spear created by Shao Kahn's energy. He threw the spear at Liu Kang and the monk created another fireball to stop the incoming weapon. The two projectiles clashed and made a small explosion in the air. The impact produced a smoke screen, which Shao Kahn used to his advantage. A green aura surrounded the emperor and it propelled him through the smoke. His shoulder struck Liu Kang dead in his face and Shao Kahn followed the attack with a kick to the monk's stomach.

A safe distance away from the death match, Kitana ran to Jade's side as soon as she saw her wound and was watching Raiden while he was healing her friend.

"Will she be alright?"

"She will be fine, Kitana. You have Smoke to thank for that."

The princess looked up at Tomas, who was watching Liu Kang's fight with Sub-zero and Kung Lao. She had a small smile on her face as she stared at the ninja and after some time, Kitana decided to watch the battle as well. The princess prayed to the Elder Gods that Liu Kang would be victorious and live to see another day. She was not sure if her life would be worth living without the monk in it.

Liu Kang dodged another punch from his opponent and countered with a fist to Shao Kahn's face, which broke off a piece of the emperor's skull mask. Shao Kahn touched his bottom lip and pulled back his hand back to look at his fingers. Then… he started laughing.

"It has been a long time…since someone was able to make me bleed."

With the most sinister smile on his face, the emperor clenched his blood-stained hand into a fist and it glowed with green energy. He rushed forward with his arm pulled back, ready to pound Liu Kang into oblivion. The monk flipped backwards and Shao Kahn's fist collided with the ground instead, which created a shockwave that shook the entire coliseum. A few spectators were thrown from their seats while others held on to each other to keep their balance.

Shao Kahn continued to laugh while he chased Liu Kang around the arena. He threw punch after punch at the monk with no success, but Liu Kang managed to actually land a hit on the crazed emperor. That only made Shao Kahn throw another frenzy of attacks at Liu Kang. The Shaolin monk could barely avoid the tyrant's strikes and after some time, Shao Kahn finally hit Liu Kang in his chest. The monk did not have time to recover as Shao Kahn followed his successful strike with a kick that sent Liu Kang rolling into the wall.

Liu Kang spat some blood from his mouth and wiped the rest off his lips with the back of his hand. He needed to think. If the monk continued attacking Shao Kahn directly, he was going to get himself killed. He needed to be smart about how he should proceed with his attacks, seeing that the emperor had lost the last bit of sanity he once possessed.

Standing up from the rubble, Liu Kang immersed himself in flames. Shao Kahn watched in confusion, wondering what exactly was the Shaolin monk planning to do. In the blink of an eye, Liu Kang vanished from his spot by the wall and the emperor looked around trying to locate his opponent. Heat emanated from behind the tyrant and as he was turning around, a fist connected with his jaw. Shao Kahn stumbled back by his throne and grabbed onto it to steady himself. His sadistic smile was quickly replaced with a scowl once the emperor saw that his attacker had disappeared.

Shao Kahn was struck again, this time in his stomach. And then again in his shoulder. The attacks kept coming, faster and harder with each hit. The emperor let out a roar as he summoned his hammer again. He was really going to make Liu Kang pay for humiliating him. Just one good hit and the monk would be finished, Shao Kahn thought to himself.

The tyrant swung his hammer in a full circle hoping that he would hit his target. Little did he know, his assailant had anticipated Shao Kahn's attack. As he reappeared on the emperor's right side, Liu Kang ducked under Shao Kahn's weapon just as it came upon him and with a mighty cry, the monk delivered a powerful uppercut that launched his opponent into the air. The emperor landed hard on his back and he could have sworn he had lost some teeth

"On your feet!"

The emperor was struggling to get on his knees as Liu Kang walked from behind him. Shao Kahn was not going to stay in a kneeled position though. He was no peasant. So with the last bit of willpower he had, Shao Kahn stood up before the Shaolin monk. Raiden and his warriors watched their champion as his fist ignited and he held it up to his face. Even Shao Kahn's followers had went silent.

"For the Shaolin and Earthrealm."

Liu Kang glances at Kitana. He waits for the princess' permission to proceed and when she nods her head, the monk looks back at Shao Kahn.

"And Edenia!"

Liu Kang charges at the emperor and drives his flaming fist through Shao Kahn's chest. He withdraws his hand and watches as the tyrant drops to his knees and throws up blood. With a final gurgle, Shao Kahn falls face-first to the ground. Dead. Shang Tsung is the first to speak up.

"I cannot believe…Earthrealm has won."

A light from the heavens shines down upon Liu Kang. The Elder Gods knew of Earthrealm's victory. Raiden looks up at the sky.

"The Elder Gods have spoken. Earthrealm is free of Shao Kahn forever."

Shang Tsung motions for two Tarkatan guards to lift Shao Kahn's body and take it away. As the emperor's followers walk away, Smoke could not help but smile. He had his doubts when he agreed to join Raiden, but they had done it. Earthrealm had won Mortal Kombat. There was no need to worry about Shao Kahn anymore. That was a weight lifted off Tomas' shoulders.

"Jade!"

Smoke and his comrades turned to Kitana, who was hugging the now conscious Jade. The assassin hugged her friend back with tears beginning to form in her eyes. She looked over Kitana's shoulder at Tomas. Jade smiled under her mask, feeling truly happy for the first time in her life. Happy to finally be free of Shao Kahn's tyranny. Happy to be with her best friend. Happy to be alive. And she had these brave Earthrealmers to thank for that.

Liu Kang jogged over to Kitana and Jade and the princess smiled at him as he put his hand on her back. Raiden and the other fighters crowded around Liu Kang to congratulate him on his victory. Johnny especially.

"Man, I can't believe. You beat the crap out of that giant asshole. High five!"

The actor held up his hand to Liu Kang, but all the monk did was stare at the appendage with a blank look on his face. Kung Lao was snickering behind Cage and Sub-zero was shaking his head. After a couple of seconds, Johnny slowly let his hand drop.

"Jeez, you didn't have to leave me hanging."

Ignoring Cage, Raiden stepped in front of the actor to face Liu Kang.

"Your victory has saved Earthrealm, Liu Kang. Without the efforts of everyone here, however, we would not have gotten this far. I see now."

The thunder god pointed at Liu Kang.

""He must win" refers to…"

Raiden stopped midsentence. He thought back to what that woman said in the vision he had in the throne room.

_"If you truly desire to stop Armageddon, Liu Kang is not the answer."_

Liu Kang had defeated Shao Kahn and saved Earthrealm from being merged with Outworld. He had stopped Armageddon, right? Raiden took his amulet off his chest and more cracks immediately adorn it.

"It cannot be. Shao Kahn is dead! Yet the future remains unchanged."

Everyone looks at Raiden in confusion. Especially Smoke and Sub-zero. They did not know that Raiden's amulet, which was forged by the Elder Gods, was an item that kept track of his progress in preventing Armageddon. The more cracks that appeared on it, the closer they were to the end of the realms as they know it. Kung Lao stands beside Raiden and looks at the amulet as well. He shakes his head.

"Then…what should we do now, Lord Raiden?"

Raiden sighs and places the talisman back on his chest.

"We should return to Earthrealm to recover. We will think of a plan while we do so."

The thunder god looks around at Tomas and Kuai, as well as the two Edenian women.

"You are all welcome at the Wu Shi Academy. The Shaolin monks will gladly provide shelter for you."

Kitana turned to Liu Kang, who smiled and nodded. The princess then turned to Jade to see if she approved of Raiden's offer. Jade quickly nodded in approval and Kitana finally looked back at Raiden.

"We accept your offer, Lord Raiden. It is very much appreciated."

Johnny Cage ran up to the girls and wrapped his arms around their shoulders.

"You know, I got plenty of space at my place if you want to get a look at the city. Giant buildings, awesome food, me…"

The women punched Cage in his face simultaneously to get him to shut up. The actor held his nose as he laid on the ground.

"Dammit, I was being serious! Ow!"

While Johnny was dealing with his hurt feelings, as well as his hurting face, Sub-zero had agreed to stay at the Wu Shi Academy, too. Neither he nor Smoke had anywhere else to go to. But for whatever reason, Tomas was not sure if he wanted to go. The ninja was grateful that Raiden offered them a place to live, but he the academy reminded him too much of the Lin Kuei. He wanted to see more than the typical temple landscape. And now it seemed Tomas was has been given the opportunity to do just that.

"Johnny Cage?"

Johnny was back on his feet and he had a serious nosebleed. He held his nose up in the air to keep it from pouring everywhere, but the actor had heard Smoke call him.

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything important. What's up?"

"…This may seem like a strange request, but if it is alright with you…would you mind if I took up your offer and stayed at your home?"

Cage stopped messing with his nose. He did not think anyone would really want to live wig him, so this came as a surprise. But who was he to say no to a ninja?

"Uh…sure. No problem, pal. But first…you're gonna have to ditch the getup."


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight: Tranquility

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Tranquility**

Back in Shao Kahn's throne room, the emperor's most loyal followers gathered to discuss future plans. With their leader gone, a new emperor must be chosen to rule Outworld. The Centaur Motaro was the first to speak up.

"Shao Kahn is finished."

For some reason, Motaro felt the need to establish that fact. Almost as though he himself could not believe that the emperor was really dead. Baraka spoke next while pointing at Mileena.

"Mileena was his heir. She should rule."

Shang Tsung scoffed at the Tarkatan.

"Mileena? She exists only because of my sorcery."

"And you breath because I restrain mine."

The booming voice startled Shang tsung and he and his allies turned to the entrance of the room. With his hand on his chest wound, Shao Kahn stumbled towards his minions with Quan Chi behind him. Everyone, except Shang Tsung, bowed before the emperor.

"Emperor!"

"You live!"

Everybody was in shock. They had seen their leader fall before Liu Kang, and yet, here he was. Shao Kahn was alive.

"I am not so easily killed. Quan Chi accelerated my recovery."

Shang Tsung looked nervously at his superior as Shao Kahn stomped in his direction. The sorcerer was the most surprised to see the emperor and with Shao Kahn alive, Shang Tsung's plans to take the throne have been ruined. How cruel life treated him.

"Emperor, I..."

Shao Kahn stopped before the sorcerer.

"Not. One. Word."

The emperor was absolutely livid with Shang Tsung. Every word he uttered was filled with venom.

"Because of you, Outworld can no longer merge with Earthrealm!"

Quan Chi calmly included himself into the conversation.

"There may yet be an alternative, Emeperor. Invasion."

Shang Tsung shook his head in disbelief.

"Uh..Invasion!?"

Shao Kahn quickly held his hand up to stop the sorcerer. Shang Tsung immediately closed his mouth and the emperor turned back to Quan Chi.

"Do you mock me? Sindel's Ward prevents me from setting foot in Earthrealm."

Shao Kahn's late wife Sindel was the queen of Edenia before the emperor invaded her realm and murderer her husband, King Jerrod. The queen and her daughter Kitana were taken by Shao Kahn and he forced Sindel to marry him. Although he would never admit it, the emperor had fallen for the Edenian queen and actually felt guilty when she killed herself in order to protect Earthrealm from him. If it had been under different circumstances, maybe Sindel could have returned Shao Kahn's feelings of affection. Quan Chi knew of the queen's spell, but he continued.

"Have you considered why your wife and empress chose to betray you in this particular fashion?"

"Of course. But even after millenia, her motives are a mystery."

Shao Kahn continued on to his throne while Quan Chi was talking.

"She realised that the safeguards afforded by the Elder Gods through Mortal Kombat are but fiction. She sacrificed herself to give Earthrealm protection the Elder Gods could not. So Earthrealm could not suffer as had Edenia."

The emperor sat down in his chair and looked at the Netherrealm sorcerer.

"Indeed. So, what point are you trying to make by stating these facts?"

"What if I were to tell you that I know of a process that can bring your wife back to life?"

The room suddenly went silent. Even though shock was not apparent in his face, Shao Kahn was honestly surprised by what Quan Chi had said.

"Is such a feat even possibly?"

"I am capable of taking souls, Emeperor. Would you not think it possible that I am capable of bringing souls back to the world of the living?"

Shao Kahn placed a hand under his chin in thought. With Sindel revived, the spell would be lifted from Earthrealm, but after that, what of the queen? She would definitely still be against Shao Kahn and the emperor was not sure if he could watch her die again. Quan Chi saw the doubt in the tyrant's eyes.

"Once the empress is returned to you, you will find her much more...cooperative."

"This is a very magnanimous offer."

"I wish only to serve, Emperor."

The emperor knew Quan Chi was talking about mind-control and at first, the idea did not sit right with him. Shao Kahn did not want to force Sindel to serve him, but maybe over time, she would help her husband willingly. The emperor smirked at the idea.

"I am weary of sorcerers, Quan Chi. Prove your worth. Bring her to me."

"As you wish. I will take some time to gather the proper materials, however. During that time, I suggest that you allow the Earthrealmers to continue to believe that you are deceased. Give them a sense of security and when the time comes for the invasion, will we have the element of surprise."

It did not take long for Shao Kahn to approve of the idea. Outworld needed the advantage.

"Very well. Take as much time as needed."

"You are too generous, Emperor. However, there is something else that I request of you."

"What is it?"

A grin crept its way onto Quan Chi's face.

"I only ask for a soul..."

**Two Days Later**

"Right this way, Lieutanant Blade."

At the Special Forces Base, an officer was leading Sonya, Raiden, and Sub-zero, through the hangar. They walked past some a few jets on helipads that were near a large body of water. Kuai took his time looking through the base while Raiden and Sonya walked ahead.

"How is Jackson adjusting to his prosethics?"

"Its been hard, but he's getting used to them. Some missing limbs aren't going to hold Jax back."

"I believe you, Sonya. May I ask where he is now?"

An explosion answered the thunder god's question. The four Earthrealmers slowly crept their way to the huge hole that had been created by the detonation and peeped within it. On the other side of the hole, there was a large, gray room with a hospital bed to the left side and mutiple cabinets with various medical items to the right. In the middle of the room was Jax, who had his arms stretched out in front of him with his hand in a fist. The African-American rubbed the back of his neck and let out a nervous laugh.

"Uh..My bad, guys. Didn't mean to that."

A woman wearing a white coat and big, rounded glasses sat in a chair behind Jax. Her mouth was wide open and she had dropped her pen on the floor. Sonya arched an eyebrow at her friend.

"I see your having fun there, Jax. Maybe a little TOO much fun."

Jackson flexed his prostethic metal arms for everyone to see.

"Practice makes perfect, right?"

Sonya shook her head and walked through the rubble with Raiden and Sub-zero right behind her.

"It is good to see you on your feet, Jackson Briggs."

"Thanks, Raiden. And, uh...who's the guy behind you?"

Jax pointed at Kuai Liang, who was no longer wearing his mask and cowl. He was wearing a blue, long-sleeve shirt with baggy gray pants and black boots. Sonya forgot that her comrade has not seen the Cryomancer's face.

"Oh, right. Jax, this is Sub-zero."

"Wait, are you serious!? I'm sorry, man, I really didn't recognize you."

Sub-zero waved a hand at Jax.

"No need to apologize."

"But hey, I do need to thank you for saving my life. Sonya told me how you helped her carry me to a portal so I could get back here. If you hadn't, I'd probably be dead."

Jax held out his hand to Kuai and the Cryomancer nodded. He then clapsed the major's forearm and shook it. Once they let go, Jackson folded his arms over his chest and frowned.

"So, what are you guys doing up here anyway? I'm sure it wasn't to visit me."

"Well, yes and no. I'm taking Sub-zero to see a friend of his, but we all wanted to see how you were doing, too."

Jax nodded.

"Mind if I join you? I've got nothing better to do, and..."

The major looked over his shoulder at the doctor.

"Hey doc, am I good to go or is there something else I need to do?"

Shaking, the woman nodded and gave Jax a thumbs-up.

"E..Everything looks g..good."

"Great. Thank you."

Jax and the others walked away leaving the poor doctor alone. Hopefully she could call someone to fix her office. Walking down another hall, Jax and Sonya started a conversation while Raiden and Sub-zero walked silently behind them. After some time, the thunder god spoke.

"Will your other friend be joining us, Sub-zero?"

"He told me that he would meet me and Sonya at the base, but I have not seen him. I am sure that he..."

"Sorry we're late!"

Kuai groaned when he realized who had shouted at him and Raiden. The two turned around and saw Johnny Cage waving his hand in the air with the biggest smile on his face. He was wearing a gray vest over a white, long-sleeve shirt with black pants and dark brown loafers. The actor also had his signature shades sitting on the top of his head.

"We had to make a stop at my agent's place. Someone offered me the role of the new Terminator! What do you guys think about that?"

Sub-zero shook his head, but Raiden chuckled.

"He has been going on and on about it the whole way here."

Kuai turned his head to the person standing next to Johnny.

"I thought you would be used to his rambling by now, Smoke."

Smoke laughed. For the past two days, Tomas has been staying with Cage at his home. Yes, the actor loved to ramble about the craziest things, but Smoke enjoyed it. He enjoyed the normalcy and how he could be himself without worrying about what the Lin Kuei would think about his behavior. Tomas even enjoyed the fact that he did not have to wear a uniform anymore. Right now, the silver-haired man was wearing a black hoodie with sleeves that stopped at his elbows and dark blue jeans with black shoes. The time Smoke had spent with Johnny has really made him feel like a normal person.

"Johnny means well. How has it been at the academy?"

"It is alright. Master Bo Rai Cho and a few of the other Outworlders have been staying there to train."

"Is that so? He has not been annoying you, has he?"

"...No?"

"Ha, ha. Be nice, muj pritel."

"Hey!"

Smoke and Sub-zero looked ahead as the others were about to turn a corner. Sonya was the one who called out to them.

"You guys coming or what?"

Tomas looked at Kuai and the Cryomancer nodded at his friend. The two warriors then jogged down the hall to catch up with their comrades.


	30. Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Nobody

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Nobody**

"Alright, make your hand into a fist."

As the six Earthrealmers entered the medical bay, they saw a multiple doctors tending to injured Special Forces members. Sonya and Jax greeted one of the soldiers, who was having his arm put into a sling, and Johnny followed them. As they conversated with the soldier, Raiden stood by the entrance and urged Smoke and Sub-zero to go on. The two walked around the various beds and tables until they spotted a familiar face among the crowd. Their friend was with a doctor with bright, orange hair and he had a clipboard in his hands.

"Do it one more time, please."

Tomas and Kuai quickly approached the doctor and his patient. The orange-haired man turned around and immediately recognized the two warriors.

"Oh, you must be the guys Sonya informed us about. Your friend here is good to go."

He stepped aside to let Smoke and Sub-zero see his patient. Small gasps escaped the two when they saw the yellow cyborg. Now that he was free of the slaving protocol, Cyrax did not try to attack Tomas or Kuai. Instead, he stayed where he was, sitting on a metal table, and looked down at the floor. The robot did not even acknowledge his comrades until Smoke spoke his name.

"Cyrax..."

The cyborg slowly turned his head to the side to look at Tomas. Green eyes stared down the silver-haired man as he placed his hand on Cyrax's shoulder. After a moment, the robot looked away without saying a word.

"Cyrax, are you...are you okay?"

"...No. No, I am not okay."

Cyrax shrugged Smoke's hand off of him and stood up from the table. He turned his back on his friends and shook his head.

"I was...I could have...Elder Gods, why?"

Tomas slowly approached the cyborg.

"It was not your fault, Cyrax. You were being controlled and..."

"THAT DOES NOT MATTER!"

Cyrax's outburst made all the occupants of the bay go silent. Everyone's attention was drawn to the robot, just in case Cyrax ended up going rogue. The yellow cyborg put his head down again and sighed.

"I'm sorry. I had no right to yell at either of you."

Tomas smiled at Cyrax.

"No need to apologize. Besides, I missed that wonderful voice of yours. Even if I can barely understand anything that you say."

Cyrax looked up at Smoke and stared at him again. If he was still human, the Botswanan would have had a deadpanned expression on his face. Despite all that had happened, Tomas still had his sense of humor. And Cyrax was grateful for that. The cyborg chuckled, or that was what Smoke and Sub-zero believed Cyrax was doing, at the silver-haired man's joke.

"You will never grow up, will you?"

"Do you really want me to?"

Kuai Liang and Cyrax both rolled their eyes, but Tomas just laughed. At the same time, Johnny Cage had made his way to the trio and wrapped his arms around Smoke and Sub-zero's shoulders.

"Yo, Cyrax, aren't you going to thank me for saving your life?"

Cyrax jerked his thumb at the actor, confused.

"What is he talking about?"

Smoke rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well...Johnny was the one who helped you free yourself of Oniro's control. So in a way, he did save your life."

The cyborg face-palmed himself. Johnny was not about to let Cyrax live this down.

"Do not expect a thank you. This just means that we are even."

"Fair enough."

Now it was Raiden's turn to enter the conversation.

"Forgive me for interrupting your reunion, but there is an important matter I wish to discuss with Smoke."

Smoke looked at the thunder god and placed a hand on his chest.

"Me? Now?"

"If that is alright."

"Uh...Of course."

Tomas told his friends that he would be back momentarily and he and Raiden went outside the bay. The silver-haired man leaned against the wall with his hands in his pockets and the god stood just a few feet away.

"What is it that you wish to discuss, Lord Raiden?"

"...Your past."

"My...past?"

"Yes. I do recall you telling us that you suffer from amnesia and have no recollection of your life before you were recruited by the Lin Kuei."

Smoke nodded.

"That is right. It was not until recently that a few of my memories had returned to me."

"What sort of memories?"

"Just... some things of me as a child and my parents."

"I see."

A long silence passed between the two. Tomas was not sure what else he should tell Raiden. He trusted the thunder god, but he felt some things should be left unsaid.

"I must tell you the truth of my departure in Outworld. When I went to consult with the Elder Gods."

"Yes, you told us that you were there to discuss some strategies for the tournament."

"That was not all. The main reason I wished to speak to the Elder Gods...was you."

Tomas frowned at Raiden.

"Me?"

"Yes. I needed information about the origins of your powers."

"And you must have known beforehand that I did not know anything, so you went to someone who you believed had the answers you wanted."

"That is correct."

"But...why?"

"I must admit, I have not taken such interest in anyone else's abilities before, but after your battle with Sektor..."

Raiden trailed off. A moment later, Smoke nodded his head to urge the god on.

"What about that battle?"

"...An incredible power resonated from you. Just before you punched a hole in Sektor's chest. I saw how confused you looked when you realized what you had done. That attack was not intentional, was it?"

"...No."

"That power...no. That was a completely different entity from you. One that will not hesitate to kill in your stead."

Tomas said nothing. He looked away from Raiden and took his hands out of his pockets.

"...What did the Elder Gods tell you?"

"That is what I want to discuss with you. Smoke...they knew nothing about you."

At that, Smoke's eyes widen and he jerked his head up.

"What?"

"In their eyes, it is as though you do not even exist. You...are no one."

"I...do not exist?"

Tomas placed his hands behind his head and started to pace around the hall. This was a lot to register in his mind. If the gods did not even know of his presence, then...maybe Smoke really was not meant to exist. And that was why he could not remember anything. There was nothing to remember. But those memories...he saw himself as a child, he saw his father. They were real. So Tomas had to be real too, right? None of this was making any sense.

"Why did you tell me this?"

Raiden walked behind Smoke and grabbed his shoulder to make him stop pacing.

"Because you are very real in my eyes, Smoke. You are a person and you are lost and confused. I only wish to help you find your path. To help you find out who you were and who you were meant to be."

Smoke dropped his hands and turned around to face Raiden.

"Sometimes I wonder if I even want to know. Maybe I am better off not knowing."

"Do you honestly believe that?"

"No, but..."

Tomas shook his head and started walking back inside the medical bay.

"I am not sure if I can take the truth."

With that, Smoke left Raiden in the hall by himself. As soon as the door closed, Tomas was trapped in a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Hello again, Fireman!"

Tomas struggled to breath as Master Bo Rai Cho hugged him even tighter. Li Mei rushed to Smoke's aid.

"Master, stop! He is turning blue!"

Bo Rai Cho looked up at Smoke's face and quickly let go when he saw that his student was right. Tomas bent over with his hands on his knees and started coughing while Bo Rai Cho patted his back.

"My apologies. Are you alright, Fireman?"

"I would be "cough" so much better if you "cough" would stop calling me Fireman."

After his coughing fit, Smoke stood up straight and smiled at the drunk.

"But it is good to see you, Master Bo Rai Cho."

Bo Rai Cho smiled back and Li Mei properly hugged Tomas, which caught the silver-haired man off guard. But he immediately hugged the woman back.

"It is good to see you too, Tomas. My master and I were worried for you and Kuai."

"Indeed we were. Li Mei more than I, but..."

Li Mei lightly punched her master in his arm, but it only made Bo Rai Cho laugh. It was funny seeing Li Mei mad over such trivial things. As Tomas started laughing, Kuai Liang walked up beside him.

"I see you two finally made it here."

"I am sorry we took so long to come. Did you see your friend Cyrax?"

"Yes, we did."

Hearing his name, Cyrax headed in Sub-zero's direction. While Kuai introduced their friend to Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei, Tomas looked back at the entrance door. He figured that Raiden must have left shortly after Smoke stormed off. He felt guilty about that, but Tomas was not thinking at the time. All he could think about was what the thunder god had said.

_"In their eyes, it is as though you do not even exist. You...are no one."_

Smoke did not know how to take that. He knew Raiden meant no harm when he uttered those words, but they still stung. A god literally told Tomas that he was a nobody. How was anyone supposed to deal with that?


	31. Chapter Thirty: Secret Admirer

**Chapter Thirty: Secret Admirer**

Leaving the Special Forces Base in a private jet, Smoke and Johnny talked, or rather Johnny talked and Smoke listened, about whatever came to their minds. It was going to be a short flight back to Deacon City, but there was no point in staying silent the whole time.

"Hey, maybe when we get back, we should go to a club or something. Being Hollywood royalty, I can get us into anything, anywhere, at any time without us paying a penny. Besides, now that we got you settled, we should celebrate! We're alive and that douchebag of an emperor is dead. You should have brought your friends, too."

"Sub-zero wanted to keep training at the academy and Cyrax wanted to stay at the base until he got used to his body. And whatever clubs you are referring to better not include naked women dancing on poles."

"Aw, come on, I'm not like that! They'll be wearing bras and panties!"

Tomas shook his head and looked out the window. It was still hard to believe that he was sitting in a jet instead of in his room back at the Lin Kuei temple. Smoke had never felt so free. As he watched the clouds roll by, the silver-haired man smiled softly. Johnny saw how content Tomas looked in the reflection of the window and arched a brow.

"You okay, pal?"

Smoke nodded without looking at the actor. A moment later, the flight attendant appeared and stood before the two passengers. She had short, brown hair with matching brown eyes and she had a huge smile on her face.

"Is there anything I can get you two gentleman?"

"Oh yeah, could you get me a glass of champagne, Krystal?"

"Certainly. And for you?"

Krystal turned to Smoke and waited for his response. Tomas shook his head.

"Uh, nothing for me, thank you."

"Are you sure?"

The attendant stepped closer to Tomas and looked him over. Her gaze was making Smoke very uncomfortable, but Krystal did not seem to notice.

"I am quite sure."

"Alright. Just let me know when you need anything. And I mean ANYTHING."

"I...will keep that in mind."

Krystal slowly walked away while she kept her eyes on Tomas. When she was gone, Johnny leaned in his seat to whisper to his friend.

"I think she has a thing for you, man."

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't see the way she was looking at you? Krystal was practically licking her lips and waiting for you to take her into the bathroom."

"And why would I do that?"

Cage sighed. A whole crowd of women could be throwing themselves at Smoke's feet and he would not even know.

"You really need to get out more."

Johnny looked out his own window and saw skyscrapers in the distance. He looked back at Smoke.

"Look, we're almost there!"

Tomas soon saw the buildings as well and they eagerly waited for the jet to land. Approaching one of the buildings, the jet hovered over a bright, yellow helipad. The pilot slowly lowered the machine to the ground and as soon as it landed, Johnny stepped out and breathed in the air.

"You gotta love this city."

The actor looked at the view the roof provided of Deacon City and smiled. As Smoke was getting out of the jet, Krystal stopped him and put something in his hand. She then leaned in closed to Tomas to whisper in his ear.

"Give me a call sometime. I'm not only good at being a flight attendant, you know."

Krystal walked away from the confused Smoke. He opened his hand and looked at what the attendant had given him. It was a small piece of paper with her phone number on it. Tomas jerked his head up and saw Krystal blow a kiss at him before going out the exit of the roof. Johnny had seen what transpired between the two and jogged towards Smoke with a stupid grin on his face.

"Oh, ho, ho. Not a week in the city and you already got a chick's number. You work fast, my friend."

Tomas looked at the number one more time before passing it to Cage. He did not hate Krystal, but her presence just made him feel uneasy. Johnny threw his hands into the air.

"Dude, really!?"

Ignoring the actor, Smoke walked to the exit and opened the door. Johnny sighed, but he followed the silver-haired man off the roof. It did not take long for the two to reach Cage's apartment. Once inside, the sight of white, leather couches and glass tables greeted the duo. Various plants in vases were placed aound the living room and huge paintings adorned the plain, blue walls. The apartment contained a kitchen, two bathrooms, a master bedroom, and a guest room that Johnny had given to Smoke.

"Alright, I'm going to the bathroom. I can't believe my agent got me a jet without a bathroom. How is that even possible!?"

The actor ran to the bathroom and quickly shut the door. Tomas laughed at Johnny and took a seat on one of the couches. He leaned back and closed his eyes to relax himself.

"Living a life of luxury, my boy?"

Smoke sighed and opened his eyes. He turned his head to the side and Pyros greeted him with a smile. The telepath then looked out the huge, glass window that overlooked the city.

"Johnny Cage has a nice place, I admit. Just do not let all of this get to your head."

"Trust me, I won't."

"Good. How are you adjusting to life in the city though?"

Tomas shrugged.

"I am not complaining. But I am surprised that you did not contact me for the past few days."

"I wanted to give you some space. You deserve a break after all the hell you have gone through."

"Thanks."

Smoke glanced behind him to make sure that Johnny was not coming. Once he was sure they were alone, Tomas turned back to Pyros.

"What are you doing here anyway, Pyros? Is something wrong?"

"Why do you always assume that something is wrong whenever I want to speak to you? Can I not just want to check on your well-being?"

"No."

"Tomas, you wound me!"

"But you know that I am right."

Pyros sighed.

"...Okay, you are right. I wanted to talk to you about your conversation with Raiden at the Special Forces Base."

"You know what Raiden told me?"

"Yes."

"...And what do you think about it?"

Pyros leaned forward and put his hands on his knees.

"I think...that I was right about you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I told you that you were special, did I not?"

"How special could I be if the Elder Gods had not even known that I existed?"

"That is what makes you special."

"Are you going to explain why or are you going to keep talking in circles?"

The telepath laughed and then raised his hand into the air. With a snap of his fingers, their enviroment changed in an instant. No longer were they sitting in Johnny's apartment. The two were now sitting in a small house on a brown couch with a chair on the right side of it. On the wooden floor, a two-year old Tomas sat on the floor playing with some blocks with his father. The man was smiling down at his son as he played with his toys and would go fetch the blocks that the child threw across the room.

"Okay, boys. Lunch is ready."

A woman came into the room with a tray of sandwiches. She had long, black hair and brown eyes and she was wearing a gray dress with sandals. The man got up from the floor with Tomas in his arms and walked over to his wife to kiss her on the cheek.

"I am starving. These look delicious, Ana. Don't they, Tomas?"

The child did not answer, but he tried to grab one of the sandwiches from the tray. That only made his parents laugh.

"Looks like you're not the only one whose hungry, Gabriel."

The present Tomas watched as Ana placed the tray on a table and Gabriel sat on the other side of Pyros with their son sitting in his lap. Smoke turned to Pyros.

"The woman, Ana. She is my mother?"

"Yes, she is."

"Ana...and Gabriel."

Those were his parents names. Tomas felt strange saying them, like he was not sure he had the right to. A knock on the door interrupted the happy family and Smoke saw his mother go to the door to answer it. She looked through the peephole to see who it was on the other side of the door, but she did not recognize the person. In fact, Ana could not see their face due to the veil they wore over it. The woman slowly opened the door a crack and spoke to the stranger.

"Hello."

"Hello, I...I am...I..."

"Is something wrong? Are you alright?"

Hearing the worry in his wife's voice, Gabriel sat Tomas back on the floor and went to Ana.

"Who is it, honey?"

Ana shook her head while still looking at the hooded stranger. From their voice, she could tell that the person was a woman. A very nervous woman at that. Ana tried to talk to the stranger again.

"Can you tell us your name at least?"

"My name...is not important."

"What do you me...?"

Ana yelped as the stranger grabbed her arm and held her still. Gabriel immediately tried to pry his beloved's limb free, but the hooded woman had an iron grip that he could not fight against.

"Let go of her! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"The child...where is he?"

"Child?"

Gabriel looked back at his son, who was standing right behind his parents with a scared look on his face. The stranger saw the boy and loosened her grip on Ana.

"Tomas...my dear child."

She tried to step towards Tomas, but his father blocked the way.

"You are not going anywhere near our boy, do you hear me!?"

"Please, you must let him come with me!"

"Why the hell should I!? You attacked my wife and now you want to kidnap our child!?"

"I am trying to...!"

The stranger started screaming and she held her head in her hands. Gabriel told Ana to get inside and Ana quickly grabbed Tomas and ran into another room. The hooded woman held out her hand as she saw the boy be taken away.

"No, Tomas...Tomas..."

That was the last thing Smoke heard before the memory ended and he and Pyros were back in the apartment. He sat up on the couch and put his head in his hands.

"Who was that? What did she want with me?"

Pyros placed his hand on Tomas' back and started rubbing it in a circular motion.

"That woman was trying to help you, Tomas. But she should not have approached your parents the way she did. She was desperate and afraid of what was going to happen to you."

"But who was she?"

"...That woman...was Delia. The wife of Argus."


	32. Chapter Thirty-One: Deacon City Tour

**Chapter Thirty-One: Deacon City Tour**

She no longer struggled against the iron chains that held her in place. The runes carved within her cuffs made breaking her bonds impossible. Even for such a powerful sorceress as herself. It was so lonely in her tiny cell and she knew no one would be coming to free her anytime soon. That is what they wanted. They wanted her to feel alone and helpless so they could break her spirit.

But she refused to break. No matter what sort of torture they put her through, she would remain strong. For him. The thought of her beloved caused tears to form in her eyes, but she would not let them fall. There would be time to mourn for her husband once this was over. Right now, she needed to focus on the matter at the hand.

Speaking of which, the woman lifted her hooded head when she heard footsteps coming in her direction. They stopped in front of the bars of her cell and their owner stood still for a moment to fiddle with some keys. Once he found the right key, he opened the cell and stepped inside. The prisoner quickly turned away when she realized who her visitor was.

"I hope your have changed your mind."

The woman said nothing and continued to look away.

"You are not going to make this easy, are you?"

Still nothing. Her guest sighed.

"Do you think I take pleasure in causing you harm?"

"You did when you nurdered your father."

The man was slightly taken aback. He had not expected to hear that coming from his prisoner's mouth.

"I had no choice. He betrayed me. You both betrayed me."

"Why in the name of the gods would you say tha..."

"Because it is true!"

"I am your mother! How could you ever believe that I would ever betray. I love you, my son! You and your brother."

"Ah, yes. My dear brother. Always the favorite."

"We loved you both equally. That is the truth."

The woman was grabbed by her shoulders and shoved against the wall.

"If you love me, then you would tell me where the sacrifice is!"

She furiously shook her head and fought against her son, but he was not going to let go.

"Answer me, Mother!"

She stopped and closed her eyes. When she finally spoke, the woman's voice was shaky and it made it difficult for her son to hear what she was saying.

"...A child...they are just...a child..."

A low growl rumbled in the man's throat and he shoved his mother away from him. He then turned away and walked to the door of the cell, but before he stepped out, he looked over his shoulder to say one more thing to his prisoner.

"They are not even your child...yet you show more love for them than you ever will to me."

The man slammed the door shut behind him and stomped away. Feeling defeated, his prisoner slumped to the ground and silently prayed to the Elder Gods for strength. She would need it if these daily visits kept up and she was not sure if she could take seeing her child's saddened face anymore. Whatever happened to that wonderful smile of his?

"Hello!? Earth to Smokey!?"

Tomas gasped as he was snapped back to reality. He was surprised that he able to drift off like that with Johnny Cage talking his ear off.

"Uh, yes?"

"Dude, you zoned out on me for a second there. What's up with you?"

Smoke shook his head and continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"It is nothing, really."

The silver-haired man looked at his surroundings. Deacon City was bustling with activity today. People were on their phones and making their way to work. Children were getting out of school and walking home with their friends. Owners of various food stands were fixing orders for their customers and people were sitting at tables outside cafes drinking coffee while typing on computers.

As the two turned another corner, Tomas bumped into someone at the same time. He grabbed the person by their arm before the fell to the ground.

"Forgive me, I did not..."

He stopped when he recognized the woman whose arm he was holding. Her vibrant eyes were not something that Tomas could forget.

"Jade?"

The woman smiled at Smoke.

"Smoke? What a pleasant surprise."

That was not the only surprise. Tomas saw that Jade was wearing a green turtleneck with white pants and brown boots. She also had her hair in a long braid with a yellow tie at the end of it. The woman looked like she belonged in Earthrealm, but her Edenian beauty was beyond that of this realm. She was going to stand out no matter what she wore.

Coming up behind the Edenian, Kitana, Sonya, and Jax stopped when they saw Tomas and Johnny. Sonya stepped forward, wearing a white tanktop with green shorts and brown boots, and waved at the duo.

"Hey, you two. Long time no see."

Cage smiled back and pulled down his shades.

"Sonya, you're stalking me are you?"

"You wish, Cage. I am merely giving Jade and Kitana a tour of the city."

Kitana smiled and waved as well. She was wearin a light blue t-shirt with black pants that stopped just above her knees and matching blue flats. Jax was wearing a dark brown jacket with black gloves and blue jeans with black combat boots. He had no problem with his metal arms, but he preferred to keep them hidden in public. Johnny Cage nodded his head.

"Alright then. But I thought you guys had some business to deal with back at the base."

"We do, but our commander decided that we deserved a break after what happened at the tournament."

"Well, now you have the whole day to spend with me!"

Sonya laughed while rolling her eyes.

"Anyway, what are you guys up to? Any plans?"

"Nothing in particular. I said we should go to a club, but Smoke said no."

Now it was Smoke's turn to roll his eyes, but Jade and Kitana were confused.

"Um...what is a "club"?"

Johnny's smile widened.

"Hey, you girls would be perfect for a club. You see, Jade, a club is..."

The actor was whacked in the head before he could finish his sentence. Johnny groaned and rubbed the back of his skull as he glared at Smoke.

"What the hell was that for!?"

"Not another word about a club. They do not need to hear it."

Tomas looked back at Sonya.

"How about you? Did you have anything planned?"

"Actually, and please don't laugh, we were on our way to the zoo."

Cage stopped rubbing his head and looked at the blonde.

"The zoo?"

"Yeah, funny story. Sub-zero was telling us about that tiger thing you guys saw back in Outworld and Jax and I thought about trips to the zoo we had as kids. When Jade and Kitana told us that they have never been to a zoo, well...we decided to just go. We had nothing else better to do."

"That's terrible! Everyone has have to have gone to the zoo at least once in their life. Right, Smoke?"

Smoke shrugged his shoulders.

"I actually have never been to a zoo either."

Cage gasped and looked back and forth between Tomas and Sonya. After getting over his shock, the actor grabbed Smoke's shoulder and pulled him in the opposite direction of where they were heading.

"You, sir, are going to a zoo. Now."

"Johnny, it is alright..."

"No, it is not alright! You're going to the zoo and you're going to freaking love it!"

Tomas looked back at the others for help, but everyone else just shrugged or laughed at him. Even Jade let out a small chuckle at seeing Smoke so helpless. For some reason, the silver-haired man stopped struggling against his captor when he saw the Edenian smile. She had a smile that could make any man's heart skip a beat.

Arriving at the gates of Deacon City Zoo, Johnny managed to convince Sonya and Jax to let him pay the admission fee. The at the gate gasped when Cage walked up to his stand to pay.

"Oh my god, you're...you're Johnny Cage!"

"The one and only. You a fan?"

"Absolutely! Man, Time Smashers is my favorite movie of all time!"

"Thanks. Would like an autograph?"

"Yes, and can I please take a picture with you? My friends will never believe that I met the Johnny Cage."

"No prob."

Once the picture was taken and the admission was paid, Johnny lead his friends inside the zoo. Jade and Kitana gasped as they saw all sorts of animals that were being displayed around the park. Kitana ran towards a fence that contained a peacock within it.

"Such a beautiful creature. What is it called?"

Sonya walked beside her and put her hands on the railing.

"That's called a peacock, Kitana."

"A peacock? What a strange name."

Jax walked up to a monkey cage and motioned for Johnny to come over.

"Hey Cage, monkey looks pissed off, doesn't it?"

"What are talking about? I mean, how does that thing look an...?"

Something landed on the ground in front of Cage. He looked down and saw something brown and it smelled horrible. The actor jumped back and covered his nose.

"What the hell!? Ugh, that's disgusting!"

Jax was laughing so hard that he had to bend over with his hands on his knees.

"I told you it was pissed!"

As Jackson continued to laugh, Jade made her way to another cage. She saw the plate that was placed on it and tried to read it, but she could not read English.

"It is a tiger."

Jade turned around and saw Smoke standing beside her. He pointed towards the cage and the Edenian looked to where Tomas was pointing. Her eyes widen when she saw a big, striped creature sleeping on a rock within the cage.

"That creature reminds me of a taigore. An animal that roams freely in Outworld."

"Really? I think we ran into one while we were there. Well, technically, Johnny ran into it and that did not end well."

Jade laughed at the joke and Tomas soon joined her. The two stood in front of the cage and silently watched the tiger sleep. After some time, a thought came to Smoke and he decided to break the silence.

"Jade, you are originally from Edenia, correct?"

"Yes, that is correct. Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering about something. Do you happen to know a woman named Delia?"

Jade's smile faded and her body stiffened as her comrade mentioned the woman.

"...What interest do you have in her?"

"Nothing in particular, I just...heard the name somewhere and it sounds so familiar, yet I have no idea why."

Tomas was not going to mention that he had seen Delia before as a child. Especially seeing as how uncomfortable Jade had gotten when he said Delia's name. But he needed to know who this woman was. Why did Johnny have to come out the bathroom the time he did? If he had stayed in there longer, Smoke and Pyros could have talked more and the silver-haired man could have found out more about Delia.

"She was Argus' wife and a powerful sorceress."

Smoke looked back at Jade, but she did not look back at him. But Tomas saw how her eyes hardened and she clenched the sleeves of her shirt.

"Delia also had the power to see into the future. She saw the future of Edenia, and yet..."

"And yet?"

"...And yet...she and her husband did nothing. She let Edenia die. She let my family die."


	33. Chapter Thirty-Two: Family Matters

**Chapter Thirty-Two: Family Matters**

An uncomfortable silence passed between Smoke and Jade. The silver-haired man was debating on whether he should drop the topic or not. It was clear that Jade was not fond of the sorceress Delia and bringing the woman up must have brought back some bad memories. With a bit of hesitation, Smoke put his hand on the Edenian's arm, which caused her to look up at her friend.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to..."

"No."

Jade placed her hand on top of Smoke's and the action made the two blush. They quickly looked away from one another, but they were smiling at the contact.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

It surprised the former assassins how comfortable they around each other, yet they only met just a few days ago. Maybe it was because Tomas and Jade have lived similar lives and they can relate to each other.

"Is it alright if I ask about your family?"

The sudden question caught Jade off guard. She did not expect for Smoke to take an interest in her family, let alone anything concerning her personal life.

"You really want to know about them?"

"Why not? Speaking of them before, it seems you loved your family dearly."

"I did. I still do."

"Then I would like to know why."

Tomas smiled down at the Edenian and that alone told Jade that it was okay to talk about such a personal subject with him. How strange was it that she trusted Smoke just as much as she trusted Kitana, her sister?

"Very well. Shall we walk?"

Jade tugged on Smoke's arm and pulled him away from the tiger cage. He laughed and nodded his head.

"Of course. After you."

Tomas was surprised when Jade looped her arm around his. But he was not complaining. The man enjoyed Jade's company and was glad to have her so close. A small part of him wanted the Edenian much closer...

"My father was soldier in the Royal Guard."

Smoke was pulled from his thoughts when Jade started to speak. He attention was all on the Edenian now.

"A soldier?"

"Yes. According to King Jerrod, he was the most incredible warrior in Edenia. In fact, the king and my father grew to be great friends, as well as my mother and Queen Sindel."

"I am guessing that is why you and Kitana are so close."

"I was there the day she was born. I am only a few years older than Kitana, but on that day, I knew she and I would grow up to be more than best friends. As I said before, the princess is my sister."

"Being friends with royalty must have had its benefits."

Jade chuckled.

"I have to admit, it was great not having to eat my mother's cooking when the queen was around. I love my mother, but she was an awful cook."

"Ha, ha. And because you love her you never told her that her cooking was bad, did you?"

"Of course not!"

Smoke and Jade laughed together. They continued to walk through the zoo until they saw a water fountain with a few benches surrounding it. Tomas held out his hand to motion for Jade to sit down first. She nodded and proceeded to sit on the bench with Smoke following suit. The two took a moment to watch as other people walked through the park and some kids ran past them laughing and eating ice cream. Jade sighed.

"I miss that. Laughing and playing with my friends back in Edenia. When everything was so peaceful."

"You are free to do that now. Here, in Earthrealm."

"I know, but..."

Jade's smile had faded and she grasped Smoke's arm tighter.

"Why did it have to be this way?"

The Edenian bowed her head down and closed her eyes. Smoke was not sure what he could do to comfort Jade. He knew that she was upset and seeing her so blue made the silver-haired man feel sick to his stomach. Tomas slowly wedged his arm free from Jade and wrapped it around the Edenian's shoulders. He pulled the woman close and rested his head on top of her's.

"I know it may seem selfish of me, but...if Edenia had not been merged...if you had not been under Shao Kahn's command, then..."

Jade opened her eyes, but kept her head down.

"Then we would have never met."

The Edenian could not see him, but she knew Smoke had nodded his head.

"Right. And I am glad to have met you, Jade."

Finally, Jade looked up at Tomas and she smiled at him.

"I feel the same way about you, Smoke."

"Tomas."

"I'm sorry?"

"My real name is Tomas. Tomas Vrbada. I guess after we parted ways after Shao Kahn's defeat, I forgot to tell you and Kitana."

"Oh, I see. Then...Tomas it shall be."

They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. When the staring was beginning to feel awkward, Smoke was the first to look away while Jade pretended to be playing with a peice of her hair. The Edenian then let go of Tomas' arm and stood up from her seat.

"I...I am sorry about before. If you wish to know more about Delia, I..."

Smoke quickly stood up and stopped Jade.

"Forget about it. It is not important."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I was only asking out of curiousity."

Jade nodded, but she felt that there was a reason behind Smoke wanting to learn about the sorceress. She would not push the matter though. When Tomas wanted to talk, he could come to the Edenian anytime. Jade looked around the area and held her hands behind her back.

"So, what should we do now?"

"Whatever you would like to do."

"Well, maybe it would be best if we found everyone else. We did wander off without them and they are probably worried."

"I agree. I have no idea where to start though."

Hearing shouting in the distance, Smoke and Jade looked around to see what the commotion was. They followed the shouts to a wide area with a small cave in its center and a fence surrounding it. Tomas read the plate that sat on a pedestal beside the fence. The Lion's Den.

"Somebody, do something! That girl's going to be killed!"

Jade tapped Smoke on his shoulder and pointed to the cave.

"Is that child supposed to be in there?"

Her question was innocent, but seeing the little girl Jade was pointing to made Tomas. Not only that, but the silver-haired man immediately recognized who the child was.

"Soliel..."

Soliel, who was standing inside the fence, was staring down a lion who was slowly coming out of its den. She did not seem the least bit intimidated by the beast, but the people outside the fence were scared out of their minds. Smoke looked back at Jade.

"I will be right back."

Before Jade could ask where her friend was going, Tomas had taken off behind a snow cone stand and disappeared. The Edenian looked back at the den and saw that the lion was only a few feet away from the girl now. Soliel did not move an inch as the animal approached her and growled. It lowered its head to the ground and looked as though it was about to pounce on Soliel. Just as the lion launched itself at the child, a flash of black scooped up Soliel and they vanished in a cloud of smoke. The lion slashed at the smoke and tried to locate its prey, but when the smoke cleared, it was alone. The crowd was baffled by the girl's sudden disappearance and some were comtemplating on whether or not they had imagined the child. After some time, the people dispersed and went on as though nothing had happened.

"Jade!"

Jade turned around and saw Smoke behind the stand he had gone to just seconds before. He had his hood pulled over his face and the blonde girl was now in his arms. Jade jogged towards the two and she looked curiously at Soliel.

"Is she alright?"

Tomas pulled his hood down and ran a hand through his hair.

"She's fine, thank the gods."

He then looked down at the girl.

"What were you doing in there,Soliel?"

As expected, Soliel looked up at Smoke, but did not say a word.

"You know this child, Tomas?"

"We met back in Outworld. A little before you and I had bumped into each other. Speaking of Outworld, I wonder how she was able to get here."

"Maybe she was able to find a portal in Outworld."

"Maybe..."

"Hey, guys!"

Smoke and Jade turned their heads in the direction of the shouting. They saw Johnny Cage waving at them while running towards them. The others were right on his tail. As the actro approached, Cage immediately started talking.

"We heard some screaming and came to see what was going on. You guys okay?"

Jade nodded and motioned to the girl Tomas was holding.

"This child was about to be attacked by a creature called a lion. If not for Tomas, I am not sure what would have happened."

Smoke smiled at the compliment and Soliel raised her head so she could see everyone. Johnny instantly recognized the girl.

"Wait, I remember you. You were the nice kid that gave me that banana."

Soliel nodded.

"Wow. I didn't expect to see you here, kiddo. I hope that lion didn't scare you too bad."

The child shook her head and looked back at Tomas. Again, Soliel just stared at the silver-haired man and did not say anything. Her green eyes seemed to be looking deep into Smoke's soul.

"We should take her away from here."

Tomas and everyone else turned to Jade.

"Before anyone finds her and starts to ask about her escape. You did not want anyone to know about your powers, correct?"

Smoke nodded.

"Correct. And I think Soliel has seen enough of the zoo for one day."

Soliel wrapped her arms around Smoke's neck and put her head back down.

"Soliel? She told you her name?"

Remembering their first encounter with Soliel, Tomas had forgotten that the girl had not told them her name. It was Esme who had told Smoke about Soliel when he went in her house. He could not believe he had let the name slip from his mouth like that.

"Well...not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

"I think it would be best to discuss this elsewhere."

Tomas nodded his head to the crowd of people that were coming their way. Cage quickly understood.

"Right. Let's get out of here."

And the Earthrealm warriors left the zoo with Soliel in tow.


	34. Chapter Thirty-Three: Into the Void

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Into the Void**

It was late by the time Smoke and Johnny returned to the apartment. And now the actor had another guest living in his home. As Cage plummeted into the couch, Tomas sat Soliel down beside him. It took some time before the girl would let go of Smoke, but he managed to pry her small arms from around his neck.

"Looks like we'll be making a trip back to the base tomorrow. We'll get you back home, kid. Don't worry."

Soliel was listening to Johnny Cage, but her eyes were solely on Tomas. Even as he walked into the kitchen to get a bottle of water, the child turned her head to watch him.

"You hungry?"

The girl finally looked at Johnny at the mention of food. The actor smiled.

"You can have anything you want. Just name it."

"Uh, Johnny?"

Cage turned in the couch to look at Smoke, who was standing behind the kitchen counter with an apple in hand.

"Food in Outworld may be very different from food here. Whatever Soliel wants may not be an easy thing to find in Earthrealm, that is if it even exists here."

"Oh, you're right. I wasn't thinking. How about we...?"

Johnny turned back to Soliel, but the girl had disappeared from her spot on the couch. It did not take long for him locate the child once he heard her feet pattering on the kitchen's marble floor. She instantly grabbed onto Tomas' leg and tilted her head back to look up at him. The silver-haired man then saw her eyes land on the apple in his hand. Smoke held the fruit to Soliel.

"Do you want this?"

The girl slowly nodded and reached her hand up to take the apple from Tomas. She grabbed it and took a bite out of the fruit while still hanging on to Smoke. He did not know why, but he put his own hand on the top of Soliel's head and smiled softly as he watched the girl eat. Seeing that he was not needed at the moment, Johnny got up from the couch and stretched.

"I'm gonna go take a shower. Or maybe just go to bed. I feel exhausted after everything that happened today."

The actor yawned and walked away. Tomas, with Soliel on his leg, took another apple from the refrigerator and walked back to the couch.

"Once you finish eating, I will prepare a bath for you. As well as find you some decent clothes to sleep in."

Smoke picked up the tv remote to flip through the channels. There were a few law shows, a documentary about elephants, and suprisingly enough, one of Johnny Cage's movies. One particular show seemed to catch Soliel's attention and she quickly tugged on Tomas' sleeve as he flipped past it.

"What is it? You saw something you liked?"

Soliel nodded and Smoke turned back to the channel she wanted. It was a cartoon with a gray cat and a brown mouse and they seemed to be fighting each other. Tomas recalled seeing a show like that when he was younger and believed it was called "Tom and Jerry."

"You want to watch this?"

When Soliel nodded, Smoke put the remote down and leaned his head on the back of the couch. Soliel scooted closer to the silver-haired man and snuggled against him. Even though the girl had clung onto him ever since they left the zoo, the action still surprised Tomas. The shock was gone in an instant though as he relaxed and he took a bite of his apple. The two watched the cartoon for some time until they were finished with their fruit.

Tomas then lead Soliel to the bathroom and kneeled next to the tub to turn on the water. He adjusted the knobs until the water felt just right to wash in, but he asked Soliel to touch it just in case it was too hot or too cold for her. Once that was done, Smoke got a towel, soap, and a rag. He told the girl that he would be back soon with something for her to wear. As he was about to leave, Soliel grabbed Tomas' arm to stop him. He frowned at the child.

"What is wrong?"

Soliel shook her head violently back and forth. Smoke sighed and rested his hand on her head to calm the girl down.

"I will be right back, alright? I promise I will not be long."

Hesitantly, Soliel let go of Tomas's arm and allowed him to leave. He gave her a reassuring smile as he closed the door. As he stopped in front of Johnny's room, he saw the actor pull out a box from his closet. On the outside of the box in black marker, the word "orphanage" was written in huge letters.

"What is that?"

"Oh, well, these were clothes I was going to donate to an orphanage a few blocks from here. I'm pretty sure there are some things in here that'll fit Soliel."

Smoke nodded and leaned against the doorframe. Johnny looked through the contents of the box, pulling out different shirts and pants and laying them across the bed. He held out something to Tomas and laughed.

"What about this?"

Smoke saw the picture on the front of the shirt and chuckled.

"It will have to do."

About an hour and a half later, everyone had washed and was getting ready to go to bed. Smoke insisted that Soliel take his bed, but Cage argued against it.

"Don't worry 'bout it, Tomas. I'll sleep on the couch. It's not like I haven't done that plenty of times before. With all the late nights I spent going to meetings and practicing my roles, the couch pratically became my bed."

"But I do not feel right about it. You are allowing me to stay in your home. The least I could do is give up my bed. It really is no trouble."

They stopped talking when they heard Soliel walking down the hall. She had on a pink nightgown with a picture of a unicorn on the front and blue ankle socks. She was also holding a brown teddy bear that Johnny had given to her. The girl put the bear under her left arm and grabbed Smoke's hand with her right hand. She then tried to pull the man back down the hall. Tomas allowed her to do so and Soliel lead her straight to his room and climbed into his bed while still hoding on to his hand. She jerked it a few times to indicate that she wanted Smoke to get in the bed too.

"Looks like that settles it."

Tomas looked back at Johnny and shook his head.

"It seems that way."

Cage laughed and started walking back down the hall to his room.

"Good night, you guys. Don't let the bed bugs bite, kiddo."

A second later, Smoke and Soliel heard a door close. Johnny Cage had retired for the night. Tomas, who knew that he was not going to be able to get out of this situation easily, sighed and climbed in his bed. As soon as he made himself comfortable, Soliel again cuddled against his side. The silver-haired man chuckled.

"Comfortable?"

The girl did not answer. But Tomas already knew the answer to his question when he saw that Soliel was fast asleep. Just looking at the slumbering child made Smoke realize how exhausted he was. Using his powers, Tomas made a small smoke cloud by the light switch and turned it off. A bit lazy, but he refused to get out of bed. It did not take long for Smoke to allow his eyes to close and sleep quickly took him as it did Soliel. And for the first time in days, he was actually happy about getting some much needed sleep.

At first, Tomas expected to taken back to the white abyss that was his mindscape. Now that Pyros had visited him, the silver-haired man thought it would be reasonable that they continue their conversation from before. But when he opened his eyes and saw nothing but darkness, Smoke began to worry. He was floating in some sort of void and he could not see anything or anyone in around him.

"Maybe this a dream."

**"This is no dream, child."**

The distorted voice surprised Tomas and he yelped as his body was suddenly slammed to the ground. Or what he thought could be counted as the ground. It was hard to tell when there seemed to be no solid structures around. With a grunt, Smoke pushed himself off the floor and tried to find the source of the voice. That did not take long as he turned around and he was staring into huge pair of glowing red eyes. Tomas could see his own reflection in those menacing orbs.

"What the hell…?"

**"What is the matter? Are you afraid of me, Tomas?"**

"I…don't even know who you are. WHAT you are."

**"Oh, but you do. You know exactly who I am."**

The creature's form was literally made of smoke, so it had no exact shape. But it slowly reached out to Tomas with what he assumed was its hand. He immediately jumped back before the thing could touch him. This only made the smoking beast angry.

**"Do not make this difficult."**

Smoke shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

**"Enough is enough, boy. My patience is running thin."**

Black tendrils flew from the floor and wrapped themselves around Tomas. He struggled against the tentacles and even tried to use his powers to escape them, but for some reason, he was unable to use them. Seeing that Smoke was confused, the monster used the opportunity to make its tendrils pin the man to the floor and leaned over Tomas.

**"But I suppose that bastard telepath is to blame for this predicament. He has been focusing all his effort on keeping us apart. Not anymore."**

The tentacles tightened around their captive and Smoke yelled in pain. One tendril slipped around his neck and started to choke Tomas, so he would shut up. The beast leaned in closer and its eyes almost blinded Smoke with its intensity.

**"Surrender this foolish resolve, child. Give me control."**

"N…No…"

**"No? Look at yourself. Do you still believe you have a choice!?"**

Tomas was beginning to see black dots in his vision. He was going to pass out soon if this kept up.

"What…do you…want?"

**"The same thing you have been yearning for all these years, Tomas. I want to be free."**

A whirring sound caught the smoke monster's attention and it jerked its head up just in time for a kunai knife to hit it right in its eye. The beast howled and finally pulled away from Smoke, causing the tendrils to release him from their hold. Tomas rolled to his side and immediately had a coughing fit as he struggled breath right again. Once he was done, he shook his head to clear his vision and looked back at the flailing creature.

"You should have stayed in the shadows where you belong."

Smoke's eyes widened, and relief washed over him. Turning over so he was laying on his stomach, he saw Pyros standing behind him with another kunai in his left hand. The monster stopped thrashing around and growled at the telepath. It held its giant hand to its injured eye.

**"Why must you keep interfering!? This is none of your concern!"**

Ignoring the beast, Pyros knelt beside Tomas and smiled reassuringly at him.

"Are you alright?"

"Y…Yes. I think so."

"Do not worry. I will take care of this."

Smoke nodded, and Pyros patted him on his shoulder before standing up. The telepath's smile faded once he laid eyes on the evil creature.

"When it comes to Tomas, this is my concern. I will not allow you to corrupt him."

**"The boy is mine, you fool! I will break him, mark my words."**

**"**We shall see, Enenra."

At the sound of its name, the beast's eye widened, which seemed impossible considering how huge the eye was already. Smoke looked just as confused as the monster did. Enenra. Pyros spoke the name like he knew the creature. Something else the telepath had been hiding from Tomas and by the look on Pyros' face, he did not mean to let the name slip from his mouth. But he immediately regained his composure.

"Leave. Now."

The monster's uninjured eye narrowed as though it was preparing to attack, but instead, it slowly backed away into the shadows. It looked back at Tomas.

**"This is not over, Tomas. You will give me what I want."**

The beast then disappeared into the darkness leaving Smoke and Pyros alone in the void.


	35. Chapter Thirty-Four: Deadly Knowledge

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Deadly Knowledge**

In the depths of the Netherrealm, Quan Chi was just finishing off a small, black Imp that was misfortune enough to stand in the sorcerer's way. The Imp's heart was an ingredient for a potion Quan Chi needed for a potion he had to brew to help with Sindel's resurrection. And this particular demon just had to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Imp was now on the ground with Quan Chi's boot on its stomach to hold it down.

"Please, my lord. Have mercy!"

Quan Chi was never one for mercy. The demon might as well have been talking to a wall. The sorcerer laughed at the Imp's awful cries and put more pressure on the demon's belly, causing it to scream in pain.

"You should feel honored. Your pitiful excuse for a life will now be used for a worthy cause."

The Imp screamed louder and louder until its body was snapped in two. Blood gushed out of its mouth and parts of its intestines poured from each of the halves of the demon's body. Quan Chi moved his foot away from the body and knelt down to get what he came for. He plunged his hand inside the Imp's chest, grabbed its heart, and quickly yanked it out. The sorcerer held the heart up to get a closer look at it, green blood dripping from his hand.

"Was that necessary?"

Behind Quan Chi, Shang Tsung was sitting on a rock watching his ally admire the grotesque organ. It surprised Quan Chi that Shao Kahn's right-hand man agreed to come to the Netherrealm with him. Shang Tsung came only because he and Quan Chi had some things they needed to discuss. Especially things involved in the invasion of Earthrealm.

"I do not know why you suggested that we invade Earthrealm in the first place. We could only merge with Earthrealm if we won ten Mortal Kombat tournaments in a row. And you know exactly how the last tournament turned out."

"It is the emperor's decision whether he wants to merge the realms or not. If he believes that he can obtain enough power to go against the Elder Gods, who am I to say otherwise? Besides, I thought you wanted to be rid of Shao Kahn once and for all. With the invasion, you may get your chance."

"That may be so, but I do not want Shao Kahn to bring me down with him. If Outworld tries to merge with Earthrealm, the Elder Gods will not only punish the emperor, but they may go after any who was involved in the invasion. That includes you, Quan Chi."

"I am not worry about that. After all, the Netherrealm may be a part of Shao Kahn's invading army, but we are not the ones who are trying to merge with Earthrealm. Invasion itself is not going against the Elder Gods' rules."

Quan Chi put the Imp's heart in a sack he was carrying and was about to start walking back to his palace. But he and Shang Tsung suddenly froze. The emperor's right-hand was the first to speak up.

"Do you feel that energy?"

"Yes. It is stronger than last time."

"Last time? Are you speaking of what happened at the Coliseum?"

"Indeed, and I know Raiden felt it too. I am sure he has already confronted the source of it."

"How can an Earthrealmer have so much power in their possession?"

"It is a mystery."

A wicked smile came across Quan Chi's face.

"But it is one that I will get to the bottom of."

* * *

It was about ten o'clock in the morning when Johnny Cage finally woke up. He yawned and scratch his messy hair as he walked to Tomas' room to check on him and Soliel. The door was open, but Cage knocked on it a few times to let the others know he was coming in.

"Good morning! I hope you guys had a…"

The actor stopped once he entered the room and saw only Soliel on the bed. She was holding a small piece of paper in her hand.

"What's that, kiddo?"

Soliel handed the paper to Johnny and he quickly read the message that was written on it. She had no idea what it said anyway.

**I went out to take a little walk. I will be back soon, do not worry.**

**Tomas**

After reading the note, Johnny balled up the paper and threw it in a trashcan nearby. He then sat next to Soliel on the bed.

"Don't worry, Soliel. Tomas is fine, just taking a walk."

Soliel nodded but was hoping that Smoke would be back really soon. She had nothing against Cage, but she did not want to be left alone with him for too long. In another part of Deacon City, Tomas was walking past some shops with clothes being displayed in big windows. He had been out for only an hour or so before Johnny and Soliel had awoken. It was immediately after that thing had attacked him in his mind and he was thrown back into the real world.

That was unfortunate, because Smoke wanted to talk to Pyros about that monster. Enenra. He could not get the name out of his head. Tomas tried calling Pyros, but the telepath would not answer. Like he was trying to avoid Tomas. Fine. Pyros had asked him to be patient and Smoke had been patient. Now was the time to find answers on his own.

But the silver-haired man had no idea where to start. All he had was the beast's name. A name that sounded oddly familiar. Maybe he read the name in a book somewhere. Speaking of books, Tomas was about to walk by a huge library in the center of the city.

A few steps lead the way to the entrance with two stone pillars on either side of the doors. It was a long shot, but maybe Smoke could find some important information in the library. With a sigh, Tomas made his way up the steps and through the entrance doors. He took a minute to look at the scenery as he went inside.

Just beyond the doors, a brown, circular counter stood at the front with an old woman wearing glasses behind it. Behind her, there were a few tables with computers on them and large bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling. The woman at the counter was reading a book and did not immediately notice Smoke's presence until he laid his hand on the counter. She quickly jerked her head up from the book and smiled at Tomas.

"Oh, sorry there sweetie. How can I help you today?"

"I...May I use one of the computers?"

"Certainly. Use whichever one you want."

"Thank you."

Tomas walked past the old lady and headed to one of the computers in the back. There were a few other people using computers around him and some were looking around the shelves for books. Smoke sat down and tried to get reaquianted with the computer. He has used a computer before, but the few times he did were short and Tomas never really got the hang of it. He looked over the computer screen and used the mouse to click on one of the tabs below.

A searchbox appeared in the center of the screen. Not knowing what he should type in, Smoke just went with the word "Enenra." He pressed enter and a small search list popped up. The silver-haired man was surprised that anything showed up and took it as a good sign. He clicked on one of the tabs at the top that read "Images" and scrolled through some of the pictures. It showed various images, but all of them depicted someone or something enveloped in smoke and vapor.

"This may be useful."

Tomas went back to the "All" tab and looked through the websites. One website caught his interest. It showed a picture of a alien-like creature whose body was completely made of smoke. The beast reminded Smoke of the monster he had seen in his mind. The site was titled "Mythological Beasts of the World."

When Tomas moved the cursor over the link, the screen suddenly froze. He moved the mouse around a few times and clicked on some of the buttons on the keyboard, but nothing worked. Seconds later, the computer just turned off on its own. Smoke threw his hands up in the air, thinking he did something wrong to the computer. Hopefully it was not broken.

"Something wrong, honey?"

Tomas turned around in his seat and saw the old woman coming towards him. He sighed.

"I think I may have broken the computer."

The lady frowned and clicked on the power button a couple of times to see if she could turn it back on.

"Damn computers...forgive my language, it's just...I asked for new computers months ago and no one has provided them yet. All these computers are junk."

"I see. I do hope you get the computers soon."

"So do I, dear. Don't worry about this, it wasn't your fault. What were you looking for? Maybe I can help you finds some good old books for it."

"It is..uh..mythological beasts."

"Mythological beasts? Oh, yeah, I know where you can find books on that. Follow me."

The woman lead Smoke through different bookshelves until she found the spot she was looking for. She motioned her hand over some books on one of the shelves.

"Here they are. I think you'll find a book that has what you need."

"Thank you. It is much appreciated."

"My pleasure. If I may ask though, what the interest in mythology? Some school project you doing?"

"Um...yes. For college."

It was a stupid lie, but Smoke hoped she would buy it. And the woman did.

"A college man? Good for you! Knowledge is power, honey, and a college education will get you the career of a lifetime. Study hard, hear?"

"I will."

The old lady patted Tomas on his shoulder and then left him to his "studying." Once she was gone, Smoke skimmed over the book titles on the shelf. Most of them were based on Greek and Roman mythology, but he did manage to find a big book that seemed to talk about all sorts of creatures in myths and legends. Tomas never got the chance to pick it up though.

"What are you doing?"

The voice startled Smoke and he almost shouted in surprise, but a hand covered his mouth before he could do so.

"Calm down. It is only me. Pyros."

Tomas stopped struggling Pyros' hold and nodded his head. The telepath then removed his hand from Smoke's mouth and stepped back.

"Now I will ask you again. What are y...?"

A sudden punch to his nose interrupted Pyros. He hissed in pain and tried his best not to make any loud noises that the other people in the library could hear. The telepath held a hand to his nose and glared at Tomas while whispering to him.

"What in the name of the Elder Gods was that for!?"

"Do not ever sneak up on me like that again!"

"How could you have not heard me coming? I was walking ever so loudly so you could hear me!"

"Well, it was not loud enough!"

Tomas ran a hand through his hair and Pyros let go of his nose. It still stung, but it was not all that bad.

"May I speak now?"

"No! As a matter in fact, where the hell have you been!? Did you not hear me calling out to you?"

"Actually, I did not. I was busy doing something."

"Busy doing what? Avoiding me so we will not have to talk about that...that thing?"

"Tomas..."

"What was that, Pyros? Is that thing the reason I have been blacking out? Why I have not been able to remember anything about my past?"

Pyros held his hands up to stop Tomas' barrage of questions. He closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again, the telepath finally spoke.

"...Yes. It is the reason for your blackouts and memory lost."

"I heard you call that monster "Enenra." Is that its name?"

"That is what they are called, yes."

"So there are more than one?"

"...Not anymore."

"So, what does this "Enenra" want with me? Why did it attack me?"

Pyros went silent, thinking about what he should and how to say it so Tomas could understand. As well not give away too much like he had done before by revealing the monster's name.

"Tomas...let me be very clear about this. This beast...is pure evil, and it will do whatever it can to draw you from the right path. In other words...it is a literal demon... that is after your soul. And Tomas...you now have my permission to worry."


	36. Chapter Thirty-Five: Burden to Bear

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Burden to Bear**

"You...You cannot be serious."

"You wanted the truth, Tomas. This is it."

Tomas was speechless. Of all the things he had expected Pyros to say...well, he was not sure what he had been expecting. But Smoke had not thought that an actual demon was living in his body and trying to take his soul. If that was the case, then did this mean that he was possessed? Every action he did, every word he had spoken...had it all in some way been influenced by Enenra?

"If what you are saying is true, then...what does that make me? I mean with this...demon...I am nothing more than its puppet."

"No. Do not think like that, my boy."

"How can I not? You saw how easily that thing overpowered me. If you had not appeared..."

"Is everything alright back there, dear?"

Elder Gods, why? Tomas peeked around the bookshelf and saw the old lady heading his way. He quickly backed away and looked at Pyros.

"Please do not disappear on me again."

"I was not planning on leaving you. And by the way, I do not just "disappear.""

With a snap of his fingers, Pyros telported himself and Tomas out of the library just before the elderly woman turned the corner of the bookshelf. She stopped before the shelf with the books about mythology, where she had left Smoke, and readjusted her glasses.

"That's funny. I could've sworn I heard the young man's voice over here. Where did he go off to?"

The woman had heard some murmurs coming form the back and assumed that it was the "student" talking to himself. But, she also thought she heard another voice besides the young man's.

"Ha, ha. I really am getting old, aren't I?"

As the old lady went back to her desk, Tomas and Pyros reappeared in a different, yet familiar location. A pleasant breeze passed by as the two men stood on the roof of Johnny's apartment building. Pyros took a few steps forward and stood beside Smoke.

"I tried to tell you that you were not ready for the truth. But I knew deep down that would not wait. You have waited long enough. Twenty years is a long time, especially when you lived in that hellhole of a temple."

"I..."

"Yes?"

"I...I am not sure how I should feel about this information."

"Well, how do you feel now?"

Tomas ran his hands through his hair and leaned against the railing at the edge of the roof.

"Even more confused than when this whole journey began. A little relieved too."

"Relieved?"

"Because now I know why these strange things have been happening to me. And that demon is also the one responsible for my powers, right?"

Pyros nodded.

"But I also feel...feel..."

"Go on."

Smoke shook his head.

"Forget it. It is nothing."

Pyros did not believe Tomas' statement and the way the silver-haired man gripped railing, as though his life depended on its stability, really did not convince the telepath otherwise. As he looked closer, Pyros could see that Smoke was trembling slightly and his eyes never left the ground. He could not even look the telepath in the eye. Pyros sighed and pried Tomas' hand from the bar, and was a bit surprised when he saw that the man had almost completely crushed the railing. Smoke had not realized how much pressure he had placed upon it until he too saw the damage he caused. But they both quickly ignored it.

"I have told you plenty of times before. You can trust me. If there is something that you need to get off your chest, do not keep it in. Tell me."

Not wanting to break anything else, Tomas folded his arms and kept his hands close to his body. He then lifted his head up to face Pyros. What the telepath saw in the other's eyes was not what he wanted to see. The sight of tears forming in Smoke's eyes made Pyros' very soul hurt. He reached his hand up to touch Tomas' face with a look of disbelief.

"My boy..."

But Smoke quickly batted the hand away and tried to turn around. Pyros, however, grabbed his shoulders and forced him to stay still.

"Stop. Please, Tomas. I do not know what exactly is going through your mind right now, but..."

"I said it's nothing."

"And I think we both know that it a lie. You bury your feelings and keep them away from people who care about your well-being. Why do you not tell them when there is something troubling you? When you are hurting?"

"Please don't..."

"Don't what? Desperately try to pry the answer from you? I do not "want" to force you to say anything, but the more you bottle up your feelings, the worse it will be for you. As well as the ones you love."

A moment of silence passed between the two. After some time, Smoke unfurled his arms and let them drop to his sides. And then something not even Pyros had expected happened. Tomas took a few steps forward until he and Pyros were a mere inch apart and stopped. And dropped his head on the telepath's chest.

At first, Pyros was not sure exactly what to do, but he hesitantly wrapped his arms around Smoke in an awkward hug and held the man tight. Sort of like what a father would do with his son when something had upset them.

"Hydro used to tell me that if I ever needed a hug, that I could always go to him. I used to think that was stupid."

Tomas laughed, but the tears he had been trying to hold back ran down his face like rivers. He did not attempt to wipe them away.

"You are right. About me hiding my feelings from others."

"But why do you?"

"...I do not know. I suppose that when I was a Lin Kuei, I did not want to seem weak. Like I was not capable of dealing with things on my own. No one should have to be unhappy because I am unhappy. We already lived a cruel life and I did not want to make it worse."

Hearing Tomas' words, Pyros had become upset. He was not mad with Smoke, of course, but the fact that it seemed that the silver-haired man thought of himself as a burden to those around him. He understood that emotions were looked down upon by the Lin Kuei and it had been better for Tomas and his friends to keep their feelings buried. But even after leaving the temple, after living in Earthrealm and befriending Raiden and his champions, Smoke still would not truly open up to anyone. Not even Kuai, and Pyros suspected that the cryomancer knew that his best friend was keeping secrets from him. It was not right.

"Tomas, you cannot handle everything on your own. Sometimes, you have to go to your friends for help. That is why I am always telling you that you can come to me for anything. No one thinks that you are a burden."

"I do not think Enenra would agree."

"No."

Pyros finally pulled Smoke off of him so they were face to face.

"That demon is the burden. One that I wish you never had to bear."

"And there is nothing I can do about it."

"Not now, no. But that does not mean you have to fight this battle on your own. Kuai, Cyrax, even Johnny will be there for you when you need them. Do not let Enenra win. You cannot."

Tomas nodded and Pyros patted him on the back a few times before letting him go. Seeing the tear stains on Pyros' shirt, he quickly wiped his eyes and the remaining tears on his face. He felt a little embarrassed about his breakdown, but Smoke also felt better, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. To think that he would break in the presence of Pyros, a man he had only known for less than a week, yet it felt like Tomas had known him much longer than that. How could it not when Pyros has practically been living in Smoke's head?

"So...now what?"

"What do you mean "now what"? You were crying and allowing me to hug you less than a minute ago, and now you believe you are ready for anything?"

Tomas laughed again, but it was a genuine laugh. He did not think that Pyros was going to let this go so easily.

"I amnot a child. I just...had a moment, alright? You have to admit, this is a lot to take in in such a short amount of time."

"Yes, for a child. And compared to me, Tomas, you are indeed a child."

"How old are you exactly?"

"Do not try to change the subject, young man."

Wow, Pyros really sounded like a father. Much like Hydro had when he was around. It was incredible how much the two were alike. Smoke put his hand in his pockets.

"But really, what now? As you clarified before, my soul is in danger. And as I said before, Enenra was easily able to overpower me. How can I possibly defeat something that strong?"

Tomas did have a point. As much as he hated it, Pyros knew they had very limited time. That thought brought something else to mind.

"Tomas, do you know why Enenra has not attempted to leave your body yet?"

Smoke shook his head.

"You see, Enenras need suitable hosts in order to survive here, as well as other realms besides the Netherrealm. The host that Enenras prefer are those with pure hearts."

"Pure hearts? You mean...like children?"

"Yes. Like children."

That explains that memory Tomas saw of himself as a boy and his hair was changing from black to silver. That must have happened right after Enenra possessed him. But what about the men in the red cloaks? Did they also play a part in his bondage with the demon? And...

"Why me? There must have been plenty of other children out there that Enenra could have gotten to. Not that I wish that had happened, but it is somewhat strange that I was the one Enenra chose."

"What if I told you that there were children who the Enenra tried to possess before, but they did not survive?"

"...How many?"

"There were a few, but..."

"How. Many?"

The change in Tomas' turn made Pyros regret what he had said. He could tell he had unintentionally made the silver-haired man angry. But he could not lie. That would really upset Smoke.

"...Eighteen. Eighteen children had died before Enenra found you."

Eighteen. Eighteen children were now dead because of one bastard demon. How many more will have to die before Enenra was satisfied? Thousands? Millions? The thought made Tomas absolutely livid and for a split second, the man thought about killing himself if it would mean getting rid of this monster. This cruel and sinister being that Smoke was forced to share his body with.

"...Zasranej bastard."

"I know. But there was nothing you could have done. No one even knew of Enenra's existence until recently."

"But I thought you said there had been other Enenras out there."

"Yes. I thought they had gone extinct, but when I discovered that one had survived all these years, I..."

Pyros put his hand over his mouth and turned away from Tomas. Smoke tried to look around the telepath to see his face.

"Pyros?"

The telepath waved his other hand and shook his head.

"Just the thought of this demon killing innocent children and hurting you makes me sick. None of you deserved to suffer because of such a monster."

Pyros turned back around and dropped the hand from his mouth and placed it on his hip.

"Tomas, let us not think of this now."

"But, what about...?"

"I know, I know. But you already have enough on your mind. Negative emotions, like sadness and anger, they fuel Enenra. It makes your mind weak and more susceptible to the demon's influence."

Tomas was about to protest, but thought about what Pyros had said and it did make sense. If he lets his guard down, even for a moment, that could give Enenra the opportunity to take control. Smoke had to do everything in his power to keep the demon from taking over. With that in mind, the silver-haired man nodded.

"Alright. Can we discuss this later?"

"Whenever you are ready to talk, I will be there. I promise."

As the telepath was about to walk away, Pyros suddenly stopped.

"My boy, could you...could you turn around?"

Tomas frowned.

"Turn arou...why!?"

"Just for about three seconds. Please."

Rolling his eyes, Smoke did as the telepath asked and counted to three. Once he did, the man turned around and saw that Pyros had disappeared. Tomas could not help but facepalm himself.

"So dramatic."


	37. Chapter Thirty-Six: Brother's Keeper

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Brother's Keeper**

In one of the many rooms that the Wushi Academy contained, Kuai-Liang sat on a small, blue mat with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. A few of the Shaolin Monks suggested that he meditate to relax himself. Being in the Lin Kuei for so long, the cryomancer always had his guard up, even though the monks have tried their best to assure Sub-zero that he was among friends. No one at the academy was out to get him. Kuai had helped Raiden and his warriors, so he was definitely a friend to the monks.

The cryomancer had no problem with the Shaolin either, but he has only been at the academy for a few days. Did the monks really expect him to open up to them so quickly? Tomas was his best friend and it had taken them a while to get along as good as they do now. Like brothers. Mostly.

Everyone was entitled to have secrets, Sub-zero knew that. But he felt that he could tell Smoke everything, no matter how embarrassing or terrible the subject may be. Kuai was not dumb. He knew that his friend has been keeping things from him. Even before they had left the Lin Kuei temple.

Sub-zero remembered one late night when he returned to the temple after completing a mission and he was heading back to his room to get some much needed sleep.

**Flashback**

"Another assassination completed. Well done, Tundra."

"Thank you, Grandmaster."

Tundra was kneeling before Oniro and after giving the old man a report on his mission, the Grandmaster praised him on a job well done and gave him permission to retire to his quarters. The cryomancer stood up and bowed to Oniro before leaving the throne room. Just as he stepped into the hallway, a hand clapped down on his shoulder. Kuai brought his fist up to the newcomer's face, but immediately stopped when he realized who it was. Such quick reflexes did not go unnoticed by the other man.

"You are getting better. Faster. That is good."

"Bi-han."

The elder cryomancer nodded and grabbed his brother's fist to lower it, seeing how Kuai was still tense about his sudden appearance.

"I heard what the Grandmaster said. I had no doubts about you completing your mission."

"Thank you, brother. That means a lot coming from you."

Being praised by Sub-zero was the highest of praises in the Lin Kuei. As a child, Tundra looked up to his older brother and aimed to be just like him. Bi-han's approval and compliments meant everything in the world to him. After all, he was the only blood relative Kuai had and if his family believes in him, then that was good enough for him.

"It means a lot to me that I have a brother like you."

Sub-zero gave Tundra a small smile, which was only reserved for the younger cryomancer and at times, Smoke and Cyrax. Not many people knew this side of Bi-han, but the ones who did were grateful to know that this seemingly intimidating murder machine was actually a decent person. Sub-zero moved some of his hair out of his face, which unlike his brother's, was curly and was about as long as Smoke's. He had planned on cutting sometime before, but soon decided to let it be. His hair could be one of the ways his comrades could identify him and his brother as much as they look alike. That and he was about an inch or two taller than Tundra.

"Let us go back to our room. You look exhausted."

Kuai nodded and they proceeded down the hall together. It was quiet due to everyone being asleep and the two brothers rather enjoyed the silence and solitude. They have not really had much time to spend together ever since they began doing missions and some of those missions would last for days at a time. And with Sub-zero being the Grandmaster's favorite warrior, that meant a lot more work for him. Moments like this where Kuai and Bi-han had nothing to do were moments they cherised because that meant more time for themselves.

As they walked, Sub-zero asked about things like what Cyrax has been inventing recently and what chaos Smoke has been spreading around the temple. He barely saw those two except for when they were with Tundra or if he had a mission with them. But really, Bi-han was just curious as to what was happening in his brother's life. What new skills Kuai had learned, what books he had been reading. Small talk. And that was one thing the elder cryomancer was not good at, but Tundra already knew his brother was very antisocial, as was he. Must have been a family trait with them being so "cold" as Tomas would say.

As they were approaching their room, Bi-han could see just how tired Kuai was. Once the door was opened, the younger cryomancer was bound to collapse on the bed and fall asleep. Thta thought actually made Sub-zero chuckle and Tundra looked curiously at his brother.

"What is so amusing?"

"It is nothing. Really."

After a second, Kuai shrugged and left the subject alone. Bi-han was about to say something else to his brother, but was cut off when they heard someone's voice. It was loud like that person had yelled. Out of habit, the cryomancers' hands started to emit mist, indicating that they were ready to use their powers in case of intruders. They stood where they were for a while to see if the voice would come up again. But the temple had gone silent once more.

"I must be so exhausted that I am hearing things."

Kuai grabbed his forehead and closed his eyes, silently hoping that he would be able to open them again instead of falling asleep in the hall.

"No. I heard it too, Kuai."

While Tundra was resting, Sub-zero went further down the hall. He walked past a couple of rooms before stopping to see if Tundra had followed, which he did not. The younger cryomancer was still standing where he was with his eyes still closed. Kuai really fell asleep. Bi-han shook his head and smirked.

"Such a baby."

Another shout caught the Sub-zero's attention. It was louder than before and that meant that it must be close. It even sounded like it was coming from the room just ahead. And the door was slightly ajar. Silently, Bi-han made his way to the door and opened it wider to take a peek inside. He frowned at the sight before him.

With a jolt, Tundra managed to pull himself out of the sweet abyss of sleep. It would not be a good if someone were to find him sleeping here. Shaking his head to clear his mind, Kuai looked around for his brother, but he instead laid his eyes on an open door ahead of him. That room belongs to...

Without hesitation, the cryomancer ran to the room and skidded to a halt at the doorframe. The room was dark, but Kuai could make out two figures on the floor. Seeing a shadow from the doorway, one of the figures jerked their head up.

"Close the door and turn on the light! Hurry!"

Tundra recognized his brother's voice and quickly did as he was told. He closed the door and locked it before flipping the light switch. When he did, Kuai could see Bi-han pinning someone to the ground. The silver-haired person beneath him was struggling to break free from the elder cryomancer's hold.

"Tomas?"

Indeed it was Tomas. He was fighting against Bi-han and even started to growl at the cryomancer. He was twisting and turning and throwing his head back like he was in pain, but he also had his eyes closed. He must be dreaming.

"Come on, Kuai! We have to wake him up before someone hears the commotion!"

Bi-han's voice snapped Kuai out of his thoughts and the younger cryomancer nodded. He rushed to Tomas' side and Sub-zero told him to grab Smoke's wrists while he held down his legs. Tundra obeyed and climbed on top of Smoke to hold his wrists.

"Tomas, it is okay! Wake up! Whatever you are seeing is not real!"

Tomas did not seem to be listening as he fought even more against the cryomancers. Kuai tightened his hold on his comrade and tried to talk to Smoke again.

"Stop, Tomas! Open your eyes!"

Unexpectedly, Tomas' eyes flew open, but what Kuai saw was not right. Smoke's eyes, they were...they were red. Blood red. Hesitantly, Tundra spoke again.

"Tomas?"

It was as though a switch had been flipped when Tomas heard his name and his eyes turned back to their normal gray. He closed his eyes again and collasped beneath Kuai and Bi-han. They were all panting heavily and the cryomancers slid off of Smoke when he suddenly stopped struggling. Tundra was on his hands and knees trying to calm himself and when he finally did, he turned his head to look at Smoke, who was staring at him with half-lidded eyes.

"Has...anyone ever told you...you have beautiful eyes?"

And with that, Smoke fell straight back to sleep.

**End of Flashback**

That was Tomas. Always trying to get out of a situation with humor. He was out like a light after that stupid statement, which was weird because usually it would take sometime for someone to fall back to asleep after having a nightmare. Especially one as bad as Smoke's must have been for him to be so violent. For that reason, Tundra and Sub-zero had confronted their friend to make him talk about his dream. It was no surprise when Tomas just smiled and constantly told them he was fine.

That incident happened about two weeks before Tomas and Kuai left the temple, but the cryomancer suspected that that night was not the only night that Smoke had trouble sleeping. The the morning on the day they left, Sub-zero knew why his comrade had come to the dojo the time he did. He could see how exhausted Tomas was, but he did not say anything. Kuai Liang wanted his friend to tell him himself. He just had to be patient.

But his patience was running really thin. If Smoke did not say something soon, Sub-zero was going to make him. Thinking about it now, the cryomancer wondered if Tomas had been sleeping well ever since he had been living in the city. He honestly hoped that Johnny Cage was being good company, even if was annoying and quite frankly, stupid.

Someone knocked on the door of Sub-zero's room and the cryomancer frowned wondering who is could be.

"Who is it?"

"Uh...it is Li Mei. And Master Bo Rai Cho is with me."

Kuai sighed. He had no problem with Li Mei, but if Bo Rai Cho hugged him one more time, he was not sure what he would do.

"You can come in."

The door opened and Li Mei stepped in followed by her master, who had his flask up ready to take a drink from it. How the man managed to fight with alcohol always in his system would remain a mystery to Sub-zero.

"Hello, Cryomancer. Ah, isn't this the best room for meditation?"

"Well, it was..."

Kuai mumbled that part to himself as he got up from the mat.

"So, what brings you two here?"

"We were wondering if you would like to take a walk with us around the academy. We thought the fresh air would do us all some good."

"You came here to just ask me that?"

Li Mei looked slightly offended by Sub-zero's tone when he asked that. The cryomancer noticed and sighed.

"What I mean is I do not feel that is your only reason for coming here. I did not mean to sound rude."

"She knows that."

Bo Rai Cho placed his hand on his student's back

"She just does not want to admit that she is worried about you. Isn't that right?"

The drunk laughed when he saw Li Mei's face become red like a tomato. The woman then growled before striking her master with an uppercut. The move was so sudden and unexpected that Kuai could not help but look surprised. He watched as Bo Rai Cho fell to the ground and held his jaw.

"Ow...why, Li Mei?"

"I apologize for hitting you, Master. But I do not regret the reason for it."

Li Mei folded her arms and turned her head away from her master with a scowl on her face. Sub-zero tried to stifle a laugh, but it was too much. He started to chuckle and that soon grew into a unstoppable laughter. Seeing the cryomancer laugh almost made Li Mei and Bo Rai Cho forget what they were fighting about. Once he had collected himself, Kuai looked up at his visitors, who had shocked expressions on their faces. Now it was Sub-zero's turn to be embarrassed.

"I...uh...I think I will take that walk with you."

The cryomancer tried to walk past his two comrades, but just as he stepped outside of his room, a projectile was thrown at him. A spear. Kuai quickly ducked under the weapon while the other two jumped back so they would not be caught by the flames that engulfed the spear. Looking up, Sub-zero did not have time to react before a hand appeared from the floor beneath him. It grabbed the cryomancer by his collar and dragged him into the the floor along with it, both disappearing with fire surrounding them. The very fires of Hell.


	38. Chapter Thirty-Seven: Fire and Ice

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Fire and Ice**

After his small episode, Tomas took some time to clean himself up before heading back to the apartment. He slowly descended the metal staircase that would lead him back into the building and tried to take his mind off what had happened just minutes before. But was an impossible task. Reaching the end of the stairs, Smoke stopped and let out a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

"What am I going to do now?"

Fortunately, no one was around to hear the silver-haired man talk to himself. He sat down on the last step and hunched over so his arms were on his knees. Tomas then clasped his hands together as if he was about to pray. Maybe, in the back of his mind, he was considering doing so. Would the Elder Gods even hear him?

Speaking of which, Smoke did not think that the gods would be pleased with a demon being here in Earthrealm. He was never one for religion, but he had only ever heard of demons being in the Netherrealm. Or in other words…Hell. That was where demons belonged. Where Enenra belonged.

And that brought up another question. Why was Enenra in Earthrealm in the first place? How did it get here? Tomas doubted that Pyros could answer those questions since the telepath had said himself that he did not know about Enenra's presence until recently. So that left only one person he could talk to. And Smoke really, REALLY did not want to have any sort of conversation with this being.

But that confrontation was inevitable, so why not just get it over with? With a sigh, Tomas stood up and prepared for the long walk to Johnny's place, but something stopped him again. Something was off. The air suddenly felt hot and the hairs on the back of Smoke's neck stood up. His gut was telling him to move, and since his gut was usually right, the silver-haired man moved away from the stairs just as a mass of flames appeared where he was.

Coming from the portal of fire, two bodies flew across the hall and crashed into the wall opposite of Tomas. He stared wide-eyed at the intruders as they slowly got to their feet. Going through a portal and getting flung at a wall must have disoriented the two newcomers. Slowly moving towards them, Smoke instantly recognized one of the two men who had his hand on his forehead to steady himself.

"Kuai?"

The cryomancer froze when his name was called and looked up at Smoke. He had to squint his eyes since his vision was a bit blurry, but he knew that was his friend's voice.

"Tomas? How did…?"

"Ugh…"

Remembering that there was someone else there with him, Sub-zero quickly moved him and Smoke away. The silver-haired man gave his comrade a confused look.

"What is wrong? Do you know who…?"

"No, but he took me from the academy through some portal. I do not know what he wants, but we should keep our distance."

Tomas nodded and looked back at the person who attempted to kidnap Kuai. The stranger had just gotten to his feet and had his hand on the wall to balance himself. His white, seemingly soulless eyes bore into Sub-zero's when he finally caught sight of the cryomancer. The scowl on his face was evident even though he was wearing a mask and he had his other hand on the hilt of one of his swords that were on his back. Looking over the rest of the ninja's yellow outfit, Smoke remembered something that Bo Rai Cho had told them when they were in Sun Do.

"Scorpion."

The ninja and Kuai both turned their attention to Tomas, confused. Both Sub-zero's confusion was soon replaced by anger.

"This…is Scorpion?"

"A Shirai Ryu whose outfit resembles that of a scorpion. Am I wrong?"

The grip on his sword tightened as Scorpion drew it from behind him, but he was not worrying about fighting at the moment. What really worried him was how ended up in this building in the first place. He had his mind set on teleporting to the Netherrealm and the Shirai Ryu had no trouble doing so before. Scorpion knew there was nothing wrong with his powers, but something about his last jump did feel off. Something had…drawn the ninja to this exact location.

"You!"

The air had suddenly become much cooler than before and Scorpion watched as a misty aura enveloped Sub-zero's body. Even Smoke had to back away from his friend because it got too cold for his liking. Kuai did not seem to notice however and kept his eyes locked on Scorpion.

"You murdered my brother in the tournament! I will make you pay with your life!"

Scorpion scoffed. This new Sub-zero sounded confident about him being able to succeed where his brother could not. Arrogant fool.

"Your brother deserved his fate. And you will die as he did!"

Fire erupted around Scorpion's body and its heat countered the cold. Not at all intimidated by the display, Kuai held his arm up to Tomas.

"This is my fight, Tomas. Please, do not interfere."

"Kuai…"

"Stay out of this!"

And with a roar, Sub-zero charged at Scorpion leaving Smoke to watch the oncoming battle from a distance. The cryomancer formed a Kori blade to counter Scorpion's own weapon, which he quickly held up to block Kuai's downward strike. The Shirai Ryu could practically feel the rage that radiated from his opponent's attack. It may even be enough to rival his own. No. There was nothing that could rival the anger he felt everyday for everything that was taken from him. His family, his clan, his own life. Scorpion was not about to let Sub-zero take this victory, even if it was not the same warrior who had caused him so much pain and suffering.

The yellow ninja shoved Kuai off of him and countered with a strike of his own. The two continued to exchange and block blow after blow and the sound of swords clashing against one another echoed up and down the halls. It was a surprise that no one had come to see what the commotion was and Tomas was definitely grateful for that. But he still did not want to risk some innocent person getting hurt because they had the misfortune of coming across two angry fighters in the middle of a death match. And with the area being so small and Scorpion and Sub-zero's powers, there was no telling what kind of damage they could do to the building and its inhabitants. That included Johnny Cage and Soliel.

After taking a deep breath, Smoke sprinted towards Scorpion and Sub-zero, and before either of them could react, he grabbed their arms and smoke quickly enveloped the trio. Before they knew it, Tomas had teleported them all back to the roof, since it was the only place he could think of that was close by and would not take too much of his energy. But even after the small trip, the silver-haired man was seriously drained. He did not even have the strength to defend himself as Scorpion pushed him off of his arm and was about to slice him with his katana. Luckily, Kuai Liang was there to block the sword before it could touch his friend.

"Your fight is with me, Scorpion!"

"Then your friend should have stayed out of the way!"

While he was trying to keep the Shirai Ryu at bay, Sub-zero glanced at Smoke over his shoulder.

"Are you alright?"

Tomas gave his comrade a weak nod before falling onto his side. He barely had the strength to keep his eyes open, but he refused to pass out.

"I'll…be alright."

Scorpion put more pressure on his weapon, forcing Sub-zero to kneel and cracks appeared in the ground beneath him. The cryomancer could not let Smoke distract him from this battle. If he did, then Scorpion would not hesitate to kill them both once the opportunity revealed itself. Kuai just had to hope that his friend was truly okay and finish this fight as quickly as he could.

With determination in his eyes, Sub-zero shoved Scorpion and swept the Shirai Ryu's legs from under him. The cryomancer then tried to thrust his blade into Scorpion's chest, but the specter surrounded himself with fire and disappeared into the concrete. The ninja reappeared behind Kuai and managed to wound his opponent by slashing the cryomancer's forearm. Sub-zero yelped as the katana pierced his skin and left a gash as a result. The anger that coursed through him blocked out most of the pain, but at that moment, Kuai wished he had armor instead of the simple shirt he was wearing now.

As Scorpion was about to throw a punch, Sub-zero created an ice clone that froze the specter immediately upon contact. The cryomancer used the opportunity to slice his sword across Scorpion's chest, breaking the icy prison as he did so. The Shirai Ryu was thrown into the air and landed harshly on his back. Scorpion did not have much time to recover before a trail of ice stalagmites came his way. The yellow ninja rolled of of the way and growled while holding his now ignited hand in the air.

Kuai felt heat rising from the ground and quickly jumped before a pillar of hellfire exploded from the floor. The cryomancer did not realize that the fire was a distraction as Scorpion burst from the flames and punched Sub-zero straight in his jaw. Kuai fell on his back and reached his hand up to message his jaw, but a boot stomping down on his chest stopped him. He almost threw up blood that had threatened to spew from his throat from the force Scorpion's foot was exerting onto him. For a second, the cryomancer even thought that his heart had stopped beating.

The pressure was lifted when Scorpion backflipped off of his opponent's chest and landed a few feet away. Kuai gasped as he was finally able to get oxygen back into his lungs and struggled to stand up from the ground. He was slightly hunched over as he held his hand over his chest to help even out his breathing.

"Pathetic."

Sub-zero was unable to move in time as a spear was stabbed into his shoulder. The chain that was attached to it was being held by Scorpion and the Shirai Ryu jerked the spear back to him.

"GET OVER HERE!"

The spear dragged Kuai along with it and when the cryomancer was within reach, Scorpion grabbed him by his throat and hoisted him into the air. The ninja's weapon slipped from its victim and fell to the concrete.

"Did you really think that you would have a chance against me? You are more of a fool than your brother was. And do you want to know how he met his end!?"

Scorpion raised the tip of his sword until it was touching Sub-zero's throat, piercing the skin just enough to cause a droplet of blood to run down the side of his neck.

"I burned every inch of his body until it was reduced to nothing but ashes. His death was slow and I made sure every second of it was pure agony for him. And now…I shall do the same for you."

Regaining a little bit of his energy, Tomas stumbled to his feet and he let out a few breaths before noticing the position his friend was in. His eyes widen when Scorpion slowly started to draw back his sword, preparing to deal the finishing blow to his opponent. Even in his weakened state, Kuai attempted to free himself from the Shirai Ryu's hold by clawing at his hands, but it was useless. After some time, the cryomancer finally stopped struggling and let his arms drop to his sides in defeat. It was then that he looked back at Smoke and for a split second, the two locked eyes. No words needed to be spoken for Kuai could see exactly what Tomas wanted to say through his eyes.

_"Kuai, do not even think about giving up. I know you can win this fight.Me, Cyrax, Bi-han…we are all behind you. So if you die on us, I will kill you myself! You have to fight!"_

Scorpion thrusted his katana forward, but in that moment, everything felt as though it was moving in slow-motion as Sub-zero grabbed the weapon just before it could reach his heart. He then transformed the sword into ice and crushed it into pieces, distracting Scorpion long enough for him to loosen his hold on his captive. Just as his feet touched the ground, Kuai coated his arms with a thick layer of ice and hurled his fist into the Shirai Ryu's stomach. As Scorpion doubled over, Sub-zero kneed the ninja in his jaw and as his body jerked up a few inches off the ground, the cryomancer grabbed his opponent by his face and slammed him to the floor. The impact resulted in a small crater in the concrete with cracks spreading to the ends of the roof.

When he was sure that the battle was over, Tomas smiled and was about to go to his comrade's side. But he stopped when he saw Kuai punch Scorpion again. And again. And again.


	39. Chapter Thirty-Eight: Revelations

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: Revelations**

"Come on, kiddo. We gotta go!"

Desperately trying to leave his apartment, Johnny Cage was practically dragging himself out into the hallway due to Soliel attaching herself to his leg. The actor had just received a call from his agent about an interview Cage had completely forgotten about. Johnny needed to leave now if he was going to make it in time for the meeting, but his little guest refused to let him go. It was like she was insisting that the two of them wait at the apartment for something and Cage had a feeling he knew what. Or rather who.

"Look, we'll look for Tomas when the interview's over, alright? I can't just leave you here on your own, so you'll have to come with me."

Soliel furiously shook her head and pulled even more on Johnny's leg. The actor sighed, but continued to walk while dragging the girl with him. He silently prayed that the interview would go by quickly so Soliel would not be so upset. As he was locking the door, Cage realized that that the child had suddenly stopped struggling and he looked to see her staring down the hall.

"Hey. You alright, Soliel?"

The girl did not answer. Instead, Soliel let go of the actor and ran down the hall as fast as she could. Johnny was caught off guard by the sudden reaction, but he shook off the shock and chased after the little guard.

"Wait, where are you going!? Don't go that way!"

But Soliel was not listening for she knew exactly where she was going.

* * *

Tomas watched as Kuai's fist collided with Scorpion's face repeatedly. A small part of him said that he should stop Sub-zero's assault on the Shirai Ryu. He had been defeated, so was that not enough?

**_"Of course not!"_ **

Enenra's voice echoed throughout Smoke's mind. He laid his hand on his forehead and clenched his teeth together in a futile attempt to shut out the pain the demon was causing with its presence.

"I did not…ask for your opinion."

**_"But you will have it nonetheless. Scorpion is the one responsible for the death of your friend's brother, correct? Why should Kuai show him any mercy?"_ **

"Because…because it is the right thing to do."

**_"The right thing to….you idiot! Scorpion's defeat is a prime example of your weakness!"_ **

"Weakness? What do you mean by that?"

**_"Do you not see? The rage that flows through that specter….it was the reason for his downfall. The result of the humanity that he was able to retain, even when he was resurrected by Quan Chi."_ **

He did not particularly care about what Enenra had to say, but Tomas was beginning to understand what the beast was trying to say. Scorpion had once been human and every human experienced emotions, no matter how hard you tried not to. As plenty of people have told Smoke throughout his life, feelings get in the way and they were not needed when you had a mission to complete. When Scorpion went after Kuai, his main objective was to kill the new Sub-zero, but he had failed because of his anger. His humanity had gotten in the way.

But there was a contradiction in that perspective and Smoke saw it when he looked at his comrade. Kuai was just as enraged with Scorpion because of Bi-han's death, but it was not his anger that helped him win the battle. The moment he and his friend locked eyes, Tomas did not see any anger in the cryomancer's eyes. In fact, he could have sworn that he saw fear. Sub-zero was afraid of dying at that moment at the hands of his brother's murderer. Afraid that he was going to let everyone he cared about down by not only letting himself get killed, but for failing to avenge his family.

Next thing Smoke knew, a spark of determination ignited in those sapphire orbs. Kuai was determined to win his battle with Scorpion and nothing was going to stop him. And he succeeded. The cryomancer's emotions actually helped him win the fight. They gave him strength in his time of need.

And it was for that reason that Tomas ran to his friend and wrapped his arms around Kuai to restrain him. Still enraged, Sub-zero thrashed around to throw Smoke off of him before he was able to regain enough sense to recognize his comrade.

"Tomas, what are you doing!?"

"What does it look like? I am trying to stop you from doing something you will regret!"

"Get off of me!"

Tomas had not expected Kuai to actually attack him, but in his state, the cryomancer was not thinking straight. He elbowed Smoke in his stomach with enough force to make the silver-haired man release him and stumble a few steps back. But Tomas quickly shook off the pain and created a small smoke bomb. He was still weak from his teleportation, but he managed to make a bomb strong enough to throw Sub-zero off his feet and away from the injured Scorpion, who was just getting himself into a sitting position. The Shirai Ryu groaned as he reached for his mask to inspect the damage his face had taken from Kuai's assault. The remaining pieces of his mask could not hide the "face" that laid underneath it.

Scorpion's face had been taken away long ago and all that remained was a skull that he would ignite on occasion. The only people who saw it were those that the specter decided to kill and they quickly became nothing but ashes, never to see the light of day again. Scorpion had underestimated this Sub-zero and had not felt the need to show his face immediately. He wanted to take his time and make that impostor suffer for daring to challenge him. That was a mistake he would not make again.

As he grabbed on to his mask, Scorpion saw Kuai getting up from the ground after being thrown by his friend's smoke bomb. The cryomancer was on his hands and knees when his eyes landed on the Shirai Ryu once again. His bewildered expression instantly changed to a deep scowl. Sub-zero would have charged at Scorpion if someone had not beat him to it. A cloud of smoke appeared in between the two warriors and it soon vanished to reveal Tomas with his arms outstretched.

"Kuai, please. Just stop."

"You are seriously defending Bi-han's killer!?"

"I am not defending anyone! But this has to stop, here and now."

"This will stop once Scorpion's soul is thrown back into the Netherrealm where he belongs!"

At least Kuai was not the only one who was confused about Tomas' actions. Scorpion watched as the two friends argued and realized how Smoke had left himself completely exposed by having his back turned to the specter. He could easily grab the Tomas and slit his throat open before he had a chance to fight back. But something in the back of the Shirai Ryu's mind told him to stay where he was. As well as someone coming through the door and stepping onto the roof, which caused everyone to look back to see who had come.

"Kid, you can't just run off like th…!"

Johnny stopped mid-sentence when he noticed the situation at hand. He saw Smoke and an injured Sub-zero, who both stared back at the actor and his charge, Soliel. But really caught Cage's attention was Scorpion. He recognized the ninja from the first Mortal Kombat he had been to on Shang Tsung's island. And he also remembered that Scorpion was the one who murdered Kuai's brother. Johnny took Soliel's arm and pulled her back to the door.

"Hey…so…would anyone care to explain to me what the FUCK is going on here?"

Tomas was about to answer the actor's question, but a groan from Scorpion stopped him. The specter was soon standing up with his arm wrapped around his stomach and his eyes fell on Soliel. Johnny noticed this and pushed the girl behind him.

"If you try to hurt her, I'm going to shove that spear up your ass."

Scorpion scoffed at the actor's threat, but made no move towards Soliel. It was not like he was planning on harming her anyway.

"Despite what you may think of me, I am not a monster."

The ninja turned to Sub-zero, who had his hand over the wound in his shoulder from when he was struck with Scorpion's spear.

"But his brother had no difficulty murdering all those innocent children in my clan. Including my own firstborn!"

Tomas, Kuai, and Johnny had not expected that Scorpion had had a child. Cage was even more surprised that the specter of all people had a woman in his life. But the actor kept that thought to himself out of fear of Scorpion burning him alive for it. While everyone was still in shock at this new information, Sub-zero spoke up. Although he felt terrible for the loss of a child, even if it was his enemy's, the cryomancer was tired of the false accusations Scorpion was making about Bi-han.

"My brother would never be a part of such a genocide! Especially when it involves killing children!"

"Maybe you did not know your brother as well as you thought, fool!"

"STOP!"

Smoke's outburst put everyone's attention on him. He let his arms fall to his sides and stepped closer to the Shirai Ryu.

"So, you believe that the former Sub-zero is the one responsible for the death of your clan, yes?"

"Why does that matter to you?"

"Because there is something that I want to know that may clear this up."

"...What?"

Scorpion was growing impatient and it showed in the way he basically growled that last question. But Smoke ignored it and continued.

"When your clan was eliminated, were you there and saw exactly what happened? Or did Quan Chi tell you everything after you were resurrected?"

Scorpion was about to answer the question, but stopped himself. Truth be told, he was not there when the Shirai Ryu was destroyed. Quan Chi had told him that Sub-zero was the one who killed his wife and son and that had been enough to put the Shirai Ryu on his quest for revenge. Scorpion did not need anymore information. Maybe that was a mistake.

"Sometime before you two fought in Mortal Kombat…"

Scorpion was pulled from his thoughts when Tomas spoke again and took another step forward.

"Sub-zero had a mission that involved him going to a certain temple and retrieving a map. He told us that he had encountered a warrior there that was also searching for this map. A Shirai Ryu, to be precise. Were you the one who fought Sub-zero in that temple?"

"...Yes."

"And Sub-zero killed you there?"

"...Yes."

Smoke nodded. He could tell that Scorpion was also questioning the validity of what Quan Chi has told him about the Shirai Ryu's demise. A seed had been planted, but Tomas was not sure how far it will grow.

"You were at the temple at the same time your clan was attacked. Of course you could not have known who it was that was responsible for their deaths. Not unless someone told you."

"Tomas…"

Smoke looked over his shoulder at Sub-zero, who no longer looked angry. His rage had been replaced with curiosity, as well as confusion.

"What exactly is it that you are implying?"

"I am implying..."

Tomas looked back at Scorpion.

"That your meeting with Sub-zero was a setup. Organized by the same person who hired Sub-zero to find that map…and resurrected you, Scorpion."

It was only a theory right now, but it made sense. Bi-han going out on that mission and the Shirai Ryu's destruction at around the same time could not have been a coincidence. But if Quan Chi was truly behind all of this, then why? The Netherrealm sorcerer did gain a fighter, but that could not be the only thing he was after. There had to be more to this.

_"Scorpion."_

Scorpion jerked his head up at the sound of the voice. He already knew that it was Quan Chi speaking to him telepathically and the others were confused by the ninja's sudden action.

_"I apologize, but I am in need of your assistance. Return to the Netherrealm immediately."_

Usually, Scorpion would argue against his master's request, yet this time, he thought that maybe it would be a good idea to leave. Now that he had some knowledge of Sub-zero's strength, the specter will be prepared for the next time they fight. If he even wanted to a rematch once he was healed. Scorpion turned to leave and opened a portal of hellfire.

"Wait!"

The ninja stopped and glanced over his shoulder at Kuai, who was now standing beside Tomas with a hand on his friend's shoulder. The cryomancer was losing a good amount of blood from his shoulder wound and he was struggling just to stand up, which showed in the way he held on to Smoke to keep his balance.

"Where does this leave us?"

Scorpion was not sure how to answer that question. This Sub-zero was not the one who had destroyed his family and clan, so what need was there to fight him? But he could tell that the cryomancer was still upset with him and probably still wanted to finish their battle. Maybe Scorpion should give his enemy what he wants. At least for now.

"Nothing has changed. We are still enemies and I will be back so we can end our fight. But…"

Scorpion finally turned around and faced everyone.

"You need to be alive in order to do that."

Sub-zero and Smoke looked at each other for a second before turning back to Scorpion. The cryomancer was who asked the question everyone wanted to ask.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"...You all better prepare yourselves. Shao Kahn is not done with you yet."


	40. Chapter Thirty-Nine: Unraveling

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Unraveling**

"Alright, let me get this straight."

Immediately after Scorpion's departure, Johnny called his private jet to take him, Smoke, Sub-zero, and Soliel straight to the Special Forces Base. The actor thought it would be better if they took Kuai to a hospital first to get his wound treated, but the cryomancer insisted that they go to the base instead. The sooner the other Warriors of Light knew about the new information they had acquired from Scorpion, the better it would be for all of them. And there was no way Sub-zero was going to allow them to waste time on getting him medical attention for a "minor" wound. Once they arrived at the base and getting to the medical bay, Sonya was the first to greet them and upon seeing the Kuai's weakened state, she demanded that someone told her what happened. So that is exactly what Tomas did.

"You're telling me that the pissed off, fire-wielding ninja that killed the first Sub-zero is now trying to kill you."

The blonde pointed at Kuai, who nodded to indicate she was right. Sonya turned back to Tomas.

"But you may or may not have convinced him that maybe he accused the wrong man for the murders of his family and clan, right?"

"Right."

"And for some reason, Scorpion just decides to leave, but before he does, he tells you guys, and please correct me if I misheard you, that Shao Kahn, the same man Liu Kang literally punched a hole through with his fist that was on fire….is alive."

"I know that may sound unbelievable…"

"To be honest, no. After all the shit I've seen in the tournament, nothing is impossible. But do you really think Scorpion is telling the truth? I mean whose side is he on?"

Smoke shook his head and folded his arms over his chest, thinking.

"I am not sure if he even knows the answer to that."

"Do you think he's telling the truth, Tomas?"

".…I do. I do not know why, but something is telling me that Scorpion was not lying."

The entrance door opened and Jade, Kitana, Jax, and Cyrax poured from it. Cyrax instantly went to Sub-zero's side when he saw the cryomancer's shoulder being bandaged by one of the doctors. The other three walked over to Smoke and Sonya and Jade was the first to speak up.

"What happened? Are you all alright?"

Before the Edenian could launch a barrage of questions at him, Tomas held his hands out to stop her and gave Jade a reassuring smile.

"Kuai and I had an encounter with Scorpion, but we will be okay. Kuai's getting his injuries treated as we speak and I just have a few bruises here and there. Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? You two could have been killed! If anything happened to you, I…"

Jade trailed off and looked down at the floor with hands bawled into fists. Kitana was surprised by the amount of concern she showed towards the two former Lin Kuei, but it seemed that her friend's worry was directed more towards Tomas than Kuai. She was not worry about it. In fact, Kitana was glad that something besides fighting and her duty as the princess' bodyguard was able to grab Jade's attention. She will talk to Jade about it later. Kitana gently placed her hand on her sister's should and looked at Smoke.

"I am glad you and Kuai are alright. Do you know Scorpion's purpose for attacking you?"

"Actually, he was really after Kuai. I suppose after hearing about there being a new Sub-zero, Scropion felt the need to dispose of him."

"I see."

"But, Scorpion told us something that I am not sure you either of you want to hear."

Jade jerked her head up and frowned.

"What do you mean, Tomas?"

"It…involves Shao Kahn."

The Edenians shared confused looks, especially Kitana. She did not expect for Smoke to speak about her "father." Not that she even wanted to hear anything more about him.

"What about him?"

"Well…Scorpion told us that…that Shao Kahn is alive. And planning an invasion on Earthrealm."

Kitana's eyes widen and an audible gasp escaped from her lips. Jade was just as shocked as the princess and she felt her friend's hand squeeze her shoulder.It was not painful, but it was enough for Jade to know that Kitana was definitely unnerved by the news. Even Jax had to step up and say something.

"No. Scorpion has to be lying, right? We all saw Liu Kang kill that bastard!"

Kitana shook her head.

"I should have known better. My father cannot easily be killed. I was a fool to believe that he was dead."

The princess put a hand over her mouth as tears started to form in her eyes. Jade pulled Kitana into her arms and embraced her friend, hoping the hug would helped relieve some of her pain. She knew Kitana was not afraid of Shao Kahn, neither of them were. But the fact that the man who had taken away their childhoods and practically forced the two woman to kill so many innocent people was still drawing breath was too much for them to handle. Even Jade was struggling to keep herself together.

"I am sorry."

Jade looked up to face Smoke, who looked just as angry as she and Kitana felt. He stuck his hands into his pockets.

"I really did not want to upset either of you. But I felt that everyone should know, whether Scorpion lied or not. Because I am going to find that out myself."

Kitana looked up and she along with everyone else in the room stared at Tomas. Ignoring their stares, the silver-haired man called Soliel over to him. She obeyed running straight into Smoke's arms and he scooped her up.

"I am going to take Soliel home and once I do, I will go to Shao Kahn's palace. I think most of Outworld is still unaware that he is alive. If the emperor wants to keep up the act of him being deceased, it would be best that the citizens of his realm believed him dead as well. Only those he trusts the most will know and more than likely they reside in his palace."

Tomas then looked back at Sonya.

"Do you know of a way to create a portal to Outworld?"

"Yeah, but…maybe we should contact Raiden. He can teleport you in and out of Outworld before anyone even notices."

"True, but I do not want to get Raiden involved until we know for sure what is going on. Being a god, he has too many responsibilities to be bother with something that may be a false alarm."

Sonya opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. Smoke did make a good point. If Scorpion was lying and they called for Raiden, then that would be a lot of time wasted for them and the thunder god. They needed to have all the facts before they involve anyone else.

"Alright. We have been working on some teleportation devices with Cyrax's help. Here."

Sonya pulled something out of her pants pocket and held it out to Tomas. It was gray, spherical device that reminded Smoke of Cyrax's invention that the Botswanan had given to him before he left the Lin Kuei temple. As if he could read Tomas' mind, Cyrax stood beside Sonya and took the sphere from her hand.

"Think of this as an upgraded version of the one I gave you. You will be able to set your destination, which is limited to Earthrealm and Outworld at the moment due to insufficient data of the other realms. Each device can teleport only one person at a time and unfortunately, there are only two working teleporters."

Cyrax opened a panel in his arm and took out another sphere and gestured for Smoke to take them both. The silver-haired man nodded and grabbed the teleporters.

"Soliel, hold on to this for me, okay?"

Soliel nodded and Tomas gave her one of the devices to hold. Cyrax did say that the spheres could only teleport one person each. As he was examining the teleporter, Kuai came up behind him and grabbed his arm to make him turn around.

"Tomas, you are not seriously thinking about going to Outworld alone."

"There is no other way. Besides, it will be much easier to move around with my powers if it is just me. I will be fine."

"What if you came back after taking Soliel home and give me her device? I can just teleport to your position and we can go find Shao Kahn together."

"Firstly, you are in no condition to be fighting right now. Secondly, as I have already said, it will be easier to explore the palace by myself. Even if I do get caught, I can escape any attackers just like that. You know I can."

"That may be so, but I do not feel right about you going in alone if you do not have to. You do not have to be a hero."

"I am not trying to be one."

Sub-zero shook his head.

"Yet, you always do this."

Smoke stiffened at his friend's comment and sighed as he closed his eyes.

"You are angry with me, aren't you?"

Without responding to his friend's question, Kuai turned away from Tomas. That was the cryomancer way of saying "Yes, I am indeed pissed off with you, dumbass."

"Look, I will be in and out before you know it…"

Sub-zero quickly turned back around and glared at Smoke.

"This is not just about you going to Outworld! What about what happened back on the roof with Scorpion? Or the hooded man back on the mountain that you trusted fairly quickly? You have been keeping a lot of secrets and as someone you have considered as a brother, I thought I would be trustworthy enough for you to tell me such things. Especially when they seem to be having such a negative impact on your life!"

"Kuai, you do not understand…"

"How can I? How am I suppose to understand anything if I do not KNOW anything!? Just tell me what is going on with you!"

The cryomancer's shouting now drew the attention of not only the other champions, but the doctors and patients that were being treated in the bay as well. Usually Kuai would hate all the attention he was getting, but at the moment, he really did not care. He was only focused on Tomas.

"Well?"

Not knowing what he should say, Smoke took a deep breath and looked at Soliel for a second as though she would have the solution for his current predicament. Tomas knew she would not, but he could not face Kuai right now.

"I…I do not think we should talk about this now. We can discuss this once I get back from Outworld, alright?"

"But will we? You always had a habit of avoiding these sorts of conversation. What is the guarantee that this time will not be any different?"

Smoke opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Sub-zero left the medical bay without saying a word to anyone else. No one dared to stop the cryomancer and who could blame them? Once he was gone, Jade stepped up to Tomas and lowered her voice so no one else would hear her but the silver-haired man.

"Tomas, I do not want to meddle in your affairs, but is everything alright? Kuai looked extremely upset and…"

"It will be fine."

Smoke quickly answered Jade's question and looked back at the teleporter in his hand.

"Kuai just needs some time to calm himself. I will talk to him when I get back."

Tomas set the destination to Outworld and looked back at Soliel to check if the destination matched his on her device. When he saw that it did, Smoke told the child to press the button to activate the sphere when he told her to. Soliel nodded and Tomas was about to start counting down from three when Jade grabbed his forearm and gave it a small squeeze with a smile on her face.

"Just be careful. And please, come back soon."

The two stared at each other for some time before Smoke nodded and smiled back.

"I will."

With that, Tomas and Soliel disappeared and headed to Outworld.


	41. Chapter Forty: The Witch's House

**Chapter Forty: The Witch's House**

It felt like his body had been thrown rather than simply transported from one realm to another as Tomas materialized outside Outworld's Coliseum. He fell on his hands and knees and tried his best to even out his breathing. But he had to admit, the spheres were way better than their previous model. At least Smoke did not feel the need to puke, yet he was in a terrible state at the time. No need to blame the teleporter for his illness.

After a few deep breaths, Tomas stood up and looked around for Soliel, which did not take long since fortunately, the girl had landed close by. She was laying on her side with her eyes closed and she let out a barely audible moan as Smoke knelt beside her. The sound surprised the silver-haired since that was the first sound he had ever heard come from Soliel's mouth. Maybe he would get the child to say an actual word someday.

"You okay, Soliel?"

Soliel nodded her head and with some help from Smoke, she was able to get on her feet.

"You are not hurt anywhere?"

The girl shook her head and made a circular movement around it with her hand.

"Dizzy?"

Again, Soliel nodded and held on to Tomas' arm to steady herself. But Smoke thought it would be better if he just carried the girl, so he picked her up and Soliel placed her head in the crook of Tomas' neck. When she was finally comfortable, Smoke came out of the shadows and was about to head into Marketplace, but he suddenly stopped when a thought came to him. Everyone in Outworld knew his face and if anyone saw him, they definitely would not hesitate to try and kill him. Especially since Tomas was in some way involved in Shao Kahn's defeat. He needed a disguise.

Spotting a clothes stand nearby, the silver-haired man made his way over to it and grabbed a black cloak that was laying on the counter. Luckily, this area did not contain that many people Tomas was able to grab the piece of clothing with attracting any unwanted attention. He wrapped the cloak around himself and pulled up the hood so it was covering his hair and eyes. Now that that was done, Smoke and Soliel walked down through the Marketplace until they found the spot where Johnny had spotted the tigore. Tomas turned around and expected to see the old house that the girl resided in.

What they found was a pile of rubble and debris in its place.

"By the gods…"

Smoke looked at the destruction in disbelief as he came closer to examine the damage. This was the result of a fire. He could see burn marks on some of the wreckage and the smell of burning wood lingered in the air. Hopefully no one had been inside at the time. Tomas stopped his examination when he felt eyes watching him from behind. In a quick movement, he took out a kunai knife and turned around to hold the blade at the stranger's throat. The hooded figure instantly froze where they was.

"I was wondering when you would come, Tomas."

The stranger took off their brown hood and revealed themselves as an elderly woman. Smoke recognized her and slowly lowered his weapon.

"Where are the children, Esme?"

Tomas was glad that Esme was alive, even if he still did not trust her after their last encounter, but he was more concerned about her kids than anything. If any of those children have been lost to the fire, Smoke was not sure what he would do. Every child was precious, no matter if he knew them or not. Esme was not at all offended by the question.

"Do not worry. They are all safe. We are staying with a good friend of mine and I left them in his care while I tried to see if I could salvage anything from… this."

Esme motioned her hand at the wreckage that used to be her beloved home. Seeing the place in ruin saddened Tomas and he could see that Soliel was upset as well through her eyes, which unlike her face, always gave away what she was truly feeling inside. He set the girl on the ground and Soliel walked over to her adoptive grandmother. She grabbed Esme's hand, feeling how sad the elder woman was, and gave it a small squeeze to try and comfort her. Smoke gave the two a moment to themselves before he started asking questions.

"How did it happen? The fire, I mean?"

"Let us just say that it has something to do with an angry mob out for revenge against this old witch."

"Witch? You?"

Nodding her head, Esme turned her head back to look at Tomas with tears in her eyes.

"I have been known to bring misfortune anywhere I go. I have been blamed for children going missing, people dying. I suppose Shao Kahn's defeat was the reason everyone needed to get rid of me. And my family."

The old lady knelt beside Soliel and embraced the child, holding her very tightly against her chest. Soliel gave no protest and instead closed her eyes and allowed Esme to hug her.

"So, in a way…this was my fault."

Esme immediately jerked her head up at Tomas' statement.

"What? No, of course not. This was bound to happen , whether you had come to Outworld or not. You are not to blame for any of this."

Smoke said nothing. He took his hood off and raked his hand through his hair to get some of it out of his face.

"I was involved in Shao Kahn's death. I was not the only one, but I am still at fault."

"I do not blame you or your people for what happened here. Do you hear me? I thank the Elder Gods everyday now for sending you all here to defeat that bastard tyrant! He did not deserve to…!"

Someone tugging on her sleeve interrupted Esme's rant. She looked down and saw Soliel shaking her head. It did not take long for Esme to decipher what the girl was trying to say and when she did, she nodded.

"You are right, dear."

Esme wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and looked back at Soliel with a small smile.

"I cannot speak that way in public. Otherwise, the other citizens may come after us again."

Looking over Soliel's shoulder, Tomas had extended his hand to Esme. She stared at it for a moment or two before accepting it and letting Smoke helped her up from the ground. The old woman was surprised by the action seeing that she thought she was not on good terms with the silver-haired man.

"Thank you, but…I thought you...nevermind."

"You thought I hated you."

"...Yes."

"I thought I did too, honestly."

Tomas let a chuckle and Esme was even more surprised to hear him laugh. It was a pleasant sound to her.

"But there are only a few people that I truly hate, and you are not one of them. Even so, you cannot blame me for being cautious of you. I have had too many people get into my head and I am not just going to allow someone else to do so."

"I understand. I am so sorry for what happened. Please…forgive me for my actions."

Smoke nodded.

"You are forgiven."

Letting out a breath, Esme was glad that her and Tomas were now on better terms. And now Smoke had to take his leave. He had already spent too much time here and he needed to get back to Earthrealm as soon as possible. Hopefully the silver-haired man could find the courage to talk to Kuai like he had promised. But first, he needed to make sure that Esme and her children would be okay.

"Are you sure you are safe with this friend of yours?"

"Of course. I have known him for quite some time and he has never let me down. He will protect us with his life."

"Alright then. But if you need somewhere to stay, please let me know. There are people in Earthrealm I know who will help you find a place."

"Thank you. I will keep that in mind. Let us go, Soliel."

Soliel nodded and grabbed Esme's hand again. That is when another question came to Smoke's mind.

"By the way, do you have any idea how Soliel came to be in Earthrealm?"

"Actually…"

Esme looked down at Soliel thoughtfully. The girl pretended not to notice how her guardian was staring at her, but she could feel Esme's eyes on her.

"I have not the slightest idea how she went to your realm."

"But you do you not sound the least bit worried about her absence. You did not even ask if Soliel was alright when we arrived here."

"When I saw you with her, I knew she was fine. Besides, if she were any danger, I would have known."

See the confused look on Tomas' face, Esme pulled up the sleeves on her cloak and showed him the bracelets that adorned her arms.

"Not all of these are for show, Tomas. You see these four right here?"

Esme pointed at four specific bracelets.

"Each acts like a beacon for my children. The yellow one is Soliel's and if she were any sort of trouble, her bracelet will glow. And it has not glowed the whole time she has been in Earthrealm."

"That is…strange."

"How so?"

Smoke thought about Soliel's encounter with the lion at the zoo. If what Esme had told him about the bracelets, then why did it not glow when the girl was about to be attacked by the beast? Or when Soliel had unintentionally crossed paths with Scorpion? Surely the Shirai Ryu had posed as a threat to Soliel at the time. Maybe the bracelets were broken or something, but something told Tomas that that was not the case.

"...Nevermind. I just think that glowing bracelets are a bit strange."

"Is that so? Of all the things you have seen, you find that strange?"

"Ha, ha. I am a strange person, I suppose."

"Indeed you are. But it is a…unique strange."

"Is there such a thing?"

Esme laughed. That was the first time anyone had made her laugh so hard in a while. Smoke did not understand why his question was so funny, but he let the old woman have her moment. She needed it after all she had been through. Once she was done, Tomas knelt down to look at Soliel.

"I have to go now, little one. Take good care of yourself and your family, okay?"

Soliel nodded and she wrapped her arms around Smoke to give him a hug. Tomas smiled and returned the embrace wholeheartedly. It felt like an eternity before the two let go and Smoke bid farewell to the girl and Esme. The woman trusts her comrade to take care of her and her children, so he needed to trust that they would be alright. For now, the silver-haired man had other things that he had to worry about.


	42. Chapter Forty-One: Edenian Pride

**Chapter Forty-One: Edenian Pride**

Jade roamed the halls of the Special Forces Base with her arms wrapped around herself. She was not aware of how cold the base was when she first arrived, but now that she was alone, the Edenian could not help but notice. It almost distracted her from her current topic of interest: Tomas Vrbada. Ever since the former Lin Kuei left to go to Outworld, Jade could not take a seat for a second before getting up and pacing again. She was worried. Very worried.

Since the day she met Smoke, Jade has been looking forward to the silver-haired man's company whenever she can. Of course, she could simply go to Tomas whenever she wanted, but the two have only known each other for a few days. She did not want to seem too eager to see the man again. Jade herself thought it was strange for her to have this sudden interest in anyone. And as much as she was embarrassed to admit it, the Edenian wanted to further pursue that interest and she hoped that Smoke felt the same way.

Turning a corner, Jade walked past one of the many rooms that the base contained, which happened to be open. She was about to ignore it until she saw in her peripheral vision who the room's occupant was. The Edenian stopped in the doorway and saw a man hunched over on a bed with his head in his hands. Jade recognized the clothing and hairstyle of the person and it seemed that he was not aware of the woman's presence. She knocked on the open door a few times to get the man's attention and once he heard the noise, Kuai Liang jerked his head up.

"Forgive for intruding, Kuai. I just wanted to ask if you were alright."

The cryomancer nodded his head and looked down at the floor. The two stayed in silence for some time before Jade stepped inside the room and took a seat by Sub-zero on the bed. Usually she would have asked for permission to enter someone's room, but she did not think Kuai would mind. Or care. Jade clasped her hands together and laid them on her lap. She opened her mouth to say something, but Sub-zero beat her to it.

"You should not worry about our argument. This is between me and Tomas."

It was as if Kuai knew what Jade was going to ask him. She closed her mouth and looked away.

"How can I not worry? You seemed incredibly upset with Tomas."

"I am, but as I said, this is between me and him."

"I know, but…"

Jade stopped talking, unsure of what she should say. This was the first real conversation the Edenian had ever had with Kuai, so it was a little awkward speaking to him now and not knowing how to talk to him. The cryomancer always seemed so distant and antisocial to everyone except for Tomas and Cyrax. Even with them, Sub-zero said very little, especially when he was around other people. When they alone, Jade could imagine Kuai being quite talkative. She thought for a moment and decided it would be best to change the subject for the time being. Maybe she coulld get the cryomancer to open up to her.

"So…what was it like?"

"What was what like?"

Hearing the irritation in Kuai's voice, Jade almost stopped talking altogether. But she pressed on.

"Being a Lin Kuei. I have only heard a few stories about your former clan. Not much information about Earthrealm itself was available to me."

Finally, Sub-zero looked from the floor to Jade. He sighed.

"What do you think?"

"I…I just wanted to…"

"No. I meant no disrespect. But honestly, what do you think? I was an assassin. Taught to kill anything and anyone without hesitation. I was nothing without the Lin Kuei. They were my only family. That is what I was raised to believe."

That sounded similar to what Shao Kahn had told Jade when she became one of his servants. She remembers when her parents gave her to the emperor as a tribute when he had invaded Edenia and merged it with Outworld. At the time, Jade thought that her mother and father had given her away because they hated her. But as she grew older, the Edenian was able to retain her childhood memories and recalled the wonderful times she spent with her loving parents. Her family had loved her dearly and she now understood that that was the reason she was taken by Shao Kahn. They wanted to protect Jade and knew the only way they could that was if she became one of the emperor's servants.

Shao Kahn made sure to remind Jade everyday that she belonged to him and that no one else wanted her. Everyone who had cared for her, Queen Sindel, King Jerrod, her parents….they were all gone. The only thing that had kept her going through that time as an assassin was Kitana, and Sindel when she was still alive. When the empress died, Jade made it her main priority to keep Kitana safe, her reason for living each day with her head held high. Kitana was her family, not Shao Kahn or any of his other warriors. And now that they were free of the emperor's rule, they have found a new family in the Champions of Light. She had Raiden, Kitana, and especially Tomas to thank for that. Thinking about the silver-haired man drew her back to Jade back to her conversation with Kuai.

"I know exactly how you feel. My family and my realm were all taken from me by Shao Kahn and he took me, Kitana, and Sindel as trophies. I am thankful that Kitana was unaware of Shao Kahn's deception, thinking that that tyrant was her real father. I was young when I was taken, so even I could not fully comprehend why that was. I knew King Jerrod was Kitana's father, but why was she calling this other man that? This man who has destroyed our home and killed the king in cold blood while taking the queen as his wife?"

"But I understand now. She was doing the same thing for Kitana as my parents had done for me. If Kitana thought that Shao Kahn was her father, then she would be less likely to rebel against him. And she had been right. Kitana stayed alive for so long because of her mother's lies. Just as I have been able to stay alive because of my parents. It is incredible what a family will do in order to protect one another."

Hearing the Edenian's story, Sub-zero's face softened. He and Jade had lived very similar lives and he had not expected him and Jade to share such similarities. It was nice knowing that someone who has lived outside of the Lin Kuei could relate to the cryomancer. But he could not help but wonder…

"Why are you telling me all this?"

"...Because of what you said back in the medical bay. You said that you and Tomas are like brothers and that you feel you can tell Tomas anything that is on your mind. But it seems that he does not feel the same way."

"He does not."

"I do not think that is because Tomas does not trust you. Every family has its secrets, Kuai, and some of those secrets may never come to light. But sometimes…that is for the best."

"You are saying that Tomas only wants to protect me? That thought has already crossed my mind, and as I have told him before, I am not child. I can take care of myself and I can help him, but he will not let me!"

A slight chill passed through Jade as she felt the temperature in the room go down a couple of degrees. Kuai noticed and looked around the room seeing that a thin layer of ice had covered the window and the corners of the walls. He took a deep breath to calm himself so as to not freeze everyone and everything close to him.

"Did you ever think that maybe there is truly nothing you can do for him?"

"...What?"

"Kuai, there are battles in which we must fight alone. No matter if it is physically or mentally. Since the first time that Tomas and I crossed paths, I could see the internal battle he was fighting through his eyes. A battle that he really has to fight alone. I am not sure what it is that Tomas is fighting, but for now, I say we should stay out of it until he chooses to call out to us for help."

"That is easier said than done."

"But Jade is right."

A robotic voice entered Jade and Kuai's conversation and the two looked towards the entrance to see Cyrax leaning against the doorframe.

"How long have you been listening?"

"Long enough, Kuai. You are not the only one who is worried about Tomas."

"So you have noticed his peculiar behavior as well?"

"Everything about Vrbada is peculiar. But yes, I have noticed."

"And you also agree with Jade that we should leave him be?"

Cyrax nodded and stepped inside the room while closing the door behind him.

"Tomas will come to us when he is ready. You should know by now that it is not a good idea to push him in these kind of situations."

"But maybe that is exactly what he needs. For us to push him."

"And maybe he will not be able to handle that. It is evident from what Jade has said that Tomas' mental state is not exactly stable. He is struggling inside his own head and such struggles can weaken the mind. We do not need to weaken it more by asking questions and demanding answers from Tomas, answers he himself may not have. We need to give him time to figure things out for himself before we step in to help."

Time. The more you ask for time, the faster it runs out. Sub-zero was not sure if he could give Smoke the time he needed…but he was willing to wait a little longer. Tomas was the cryomancer's best friend, his brother. Nothing and no one was ever going to get in the way of their friendship. They had made a vow to have each other's back and Sub-zero was not about to break that vow.

"...Alright. I can wait."

Jade nodded her head and smiled.

"We all can."

She and Kuai looked at Cyrax who nodded in agreement.

"Of course. For now, I would like to know your feelings towards Tomas, Jade."

Not expecting for someone to ask her that, Jade froze with her growing wide with surprise. Both Cyrax and Sub-zero, who did not seem at all surprise by the cyborg's sudden question, stared at Jade and waited for her answer.

"I…do not understand your question, Cyrax."

"I believe that you do."

"Excuse me?"

"There is no need to be embarrassed, Jade. I actually approve of you having a personal relationship with my friend. I only want to know if…"

"There is no relationship! We are only friends, nothing more!"

Even Jade was shocked at how defensive she had gotten over one stupid question. She was too prideful to admit that she had grown quite fond to Tomas. She was a warrior, an assassin, a bodyguard. Not a lover. Maybe that was why the Edenian felt so anxious about the subject. Jade hid her face in her hands, but that did not hide the slight blush that appeared on her face.

"Forgive me. This is highly immature of me."

If Cyrax still had his human body, he would be smiling at the Edenian's reaction. It was honestly really adorable considering that she was one of the deadliest fighters among them. Even Sub-zero had cracked a smile at Jade's display. Love can make anyone do stupid and embarrassing things. Hopefully, Tomas' reaction will be just as amusing when Cyrax and Kuai confronted him as well.


	43. Chapter Forty-Two: Breaking and Entering

**Chapter Forty-Two: Breaking and Entering**

The creaking of a metal door opening echoed throughout the sewers as Tomas entered the Deadpool. He was fortunate that Jade had shown him this passageway when the two of them broke into Shao Kahn's fortress before. It was the easiest way for them to get to the Flesh Pits unnoticed. Speaking of which, Smoke decided to make a quick stop to the lab to see its condition since he did not have the chance to due to Jade's injured state. He made his way across the acidic liquid of the Deadpool and quickly exited the area before any guards showed up.

Avoiding the few sentries that roamed the halls, Tomas arrived at the the staircase that would lead him down to the Flesh Pits. He remembered how he had smelled smoke when he was exiting Shang Tsung's lab, but he did not have any time to go back and see the cause of it. The silver-haired man did not recall himself or Jade making a fire. Maybe there was another Kitana clone that had started one in an attempt to kill Smoke and Jade, but surely the sorcerer would not have allowed his experiments to cause such destruction. After all, all of his life's work was in that lab.

Surprisingly, once he reached the bottom step, Tomas saw that the Flesh Pits looked good as new, excluding the Tarkatan bodies that were laying on tables and trapped within test tubes. The lab was extremely clean and looked like Shang Tsung upgraded the place seeing that he had a few computers and small gadgets and tools laying about. Smoke did not think that the fortress was even capable of producing electricity, but more than likely, there was generator around for that purpose. Now, however, was not the time to be thinking about that.

All the computer screens had the Black Dragon insignia on them. That makes sense. Kano was probably the reason for the Flesh Pits' redesign and technological additions. And seeing as he and Shang Tsung were practically partners now, it was only reasonable that the Australian was able to use the lab as well. Tomas looked around the room to see if any cameras had been installed along with everything else, and he was glad to see none for whatever reason.

Smoke looked over the keyboards and computer monitors and thought about the information that they could be holding. There was a high chance that Kano stored important info within the computers instead of having to write and take notes by hand like anyone else. When he was sure that no one was coming, Tomas took a seat in front of the biggest monitor of the computers and grabbed the mouse. He clicked on the screen and a text box with the words "Enter Password" at the top appeared. Of course Smoke was not going to get into it so easily.

"Why do computers hate me?"

Shaking his head, Tomas heard footsteps coming down the staircase. He immediately hid behind some crates that had been left in a corner and listened as two men walked into the Pits. One of them was Kano, who Smoke instantly recognized due to the Australian's accent. The other had a bit an accent too, but Tomas could not identify it.

"So, what exactly is the deal with this Shao Kahn guy? Are we really going to help him with this invasion?"

"Why not? Don't tell me you've gotten soft."

"No, it's just that there are other things we can be doing with our time. We are helping this guy start a war and for what?"

"Kabal, what is it that I always say?"

The one named Kabal sighed. Smoke peeked around his crate and willed himself invisible to get a look at the two Black Dragon members. Kabal was a few inches taller than Kano and had long black hair that was tied back into a ponytail. He was wearing an outfit similar to Kano's, but it black and grey with the Black Dragon symbol on his back. Kano had a stupid grin on his face as he waited for Kabal to answer his question.

"Always go with the highest bidder."

"Exactly. And doesn't an emperor who plans to conquer all the worlds seem like the highest bidder? You've got to see what Shao Kahn can do."

"After I get over the fact that I've been transported to another world. This is all really sudden, Kano."

"Yeah, yeah. Glad you're on board, old friend."

A gunshot followed by a crash from upstairs followed by a Tarkatan tumbling down the stairs interrupted Kano and Kabal's conversation. The Australian shook his head and stepped towards the fallen Tarkatan.

"What the hell did you do now?"

"Gun…recoil…"

Kano rolled his eyes and headed upstairs.

"Don't worry, Kabal. I'll be right back."

And then Kano disappeared around the corner. After waiting a minute to make sure his comrade was gone, Kabal pulled something out of his pants pocket. It was a red flash drive. Smoke watched as Kabal walked to one of the computers and inserted the drive into it. He logged in and after some clicks here and there, he pressed a button that said "Download" and proceeded to copy files from the computer onto the flash drive. Tomas was confused about why Kabal would need to take those files, but he would think about that later.

"Hey, get the hell off me, you bloody…!"

Another shot was heard and before the Tarkatan on the floor could stand up, two more of its brethren along with Kano toppled on top of him. Kano tried to untangle himself from the Tarkatans, but that proved to be a rather difficult task.

"You gonna help me or what?"

Kano reached his hand out to Kabal and Kabal quickly stepped in front of the computer so his friend could not see the drive.

"Nah, you'll be fine."

"You always were an asshole, you know that mate?"

"Oh, I know. And love it."

With a chuckle, Kabal jogged to Kano and the Tarkatans to help them. While he was busy with that, Smoke looked back at the computer with the drive still plugged into it. The flash drive would be easier to get to than just looking on the computer itself and whatever it downloaded could be useful. In a flash, Tomas had grabbed the drive and by some miracle, he was able to get past Kano, Kabal, and the Tarkatans while keeping himself invisible. He quickly ascended the steps in his smoke form so as to not make any noise and reformed at the top of the stairway, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I definitely need to be more careful."

Tomas did not have time for a break before he heard voices from up ahead. He saw multiple shadows on the walls at the end of the hall and he went to the opposite side of the hallway. There was an archway that served as an entrance to another room and Smoke used that as cover. Heavy footsteps were getting closer and closer to his position.

"Everything is near completion, my lord. We should be prepared to strike shortly."

"We better be, Shang Tsung. You have failed me twice now. Do NOT fail me again."

That voice. It could not be. Tomas' eyes widen and he could not bring himself to move until people started walking past him. He almost dropped his invisibility from shock when he saw someone he thought he would never have to see again. Scorpion had been telling the truth. Walking down the hall, with Shang Tsung and Baraka accompanying him, was the emperor himself. Shao Kahn.

"What other materials are you in need of, Quan Chi?"

"There are only a few, but those are simple to acquire. The spell will be ready soon enough."

"Good."

Shao Kahn turned to Shang Tsung.

"Have my army prepared for battle in two days. We cannot make any mistakes when we go to Earthrealm."

"Of course, my lord."

So they were planning an invasion on Earthrealm. Two days of peace before Shao Kahn came to take his revenge. But what was the emperor talking with Quan Chi? What materials did the sorcerer need and why? And Tomas remembered Raiden saying that there was some kind of force that was preventing Shao Kahn from setting foot in Earthrealm. Did he find some way to counter that force?

These were questions that Smoke would have to answer later. Right now he needed to return to the Special Forces Base and inform the others of what he has found out. They had only two days to prepare and Tomas could not afford to waste the limited time they had. Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung, and Quan Chi had made it to the other end of the hallway and turned the corner without noticing the silver-haired man. He rummaged into his pocket and pulled out the teleporter before anyone else came by. When his destination was set, Smoke had his finger over the activation button and was about to press it.

**_"What do you plan to do now?"_**

Tomas winced as his head started to hurt. Why did that thing have to show up now?

"_What?"_

**_"Do you think you will be capable of defeating Shao Kahn?"_**

_"Why do you care?"_

**_"We do share the same body. If you die, I will die."_**

_"Then LEAVE. Go back to the Netherrealm where you belong_."

"**_You would love that, wouldn't you?"_**

He knew he should ignore Enenra, but Tomas took his hand away from the sphere and let his arms fall to his sides. He started speaking to the demon through his thoughts so no one could hear him.

_"Then just tell me why."_

**_"Why what exactly?"_**

"_You know what I mean. Why me?"_

**_"What? You think you are special? There were plenty of other candidates_**…"

_"And they all died."_

**_"...Yes. And?"_**

Enenra was not the least bit concerned for the children whose lives it had taken. It took everything in Smoke's power not to hit himself if it meant hurting the demon.

_"What do you mean by "and"? Those children…you killed them!"_

**_"They were collateral damage."_**

_"How can you say that? They were fucking children!"_

**_"What is the matter? Did I anger you?"_**

Clenching his fists, Tomas was absolutely seething. But what did he expect? Enenra was a demon and it was in its nature to cause chaos and destruction. If this monster stayed in his body long enough, Smoke was afraid that he was going to be caught in the monster's madness.

_"...What do you want?"_

**_"I have already told you. I want to be free_**."

_"And how exactly can you gain freedom if you are in my body? If you think that I am going to allow you to control, then you are mistaken."_

**_"It is a shame that you still think you have a chance against me. Besides…I am unable to leave your body at the moment_**."

_"Why? What is keeping you here?"_

**_"...How about this? We will discuss all of this tonight. Once you fall asleep. I will help you better understand my situation. Fair?"_**

Now Enenra was willing to talk? After their last confrontation, Smoke was not sure if he should trust the demon. But as he said before, this discussion was bound to happen. He needed answers and Enenra seemed to be willing to give them. For now.

_"...Fine. But you better not try anything like last time."_

**_"Why of course. And try not to let Pyros interrupt us. This meeting is reserved for the two of us and I am not fond of Earthrealmers call "third-wheels."_**

Smoke could feel Enenra's presence fade back into the darkness of his mind. Tomas shook his head to clear his thoughts and once he regained his composure, the silver-haired man activated the sphere and disappeared. Now he had two conversations he was not looking forward to.


	44. Chapter Forty-Three: Planning

**Chapter Forty-Three: Planning**

Arriving in Earthrealm, Tomas managed to stand upright as he was transported back to the medical bay. It took a minute for him to catch his breath, but besides that, that last teleport was not as bad as the first. Thank the gods for Cyrax. Too bad that neither the cyborg or any of Smoke's other comrades were around. Looks like he would have to search for them throughout the base.

Tomas opened the door and stepped out of the bay, but he was not alone in the hallway. Standing outside the doorway was Raiden and accompanying him were the two monks Liu Kang and Kung Lao. The last person Smoke had expected to see when he returned from Ourworld was the thunder god.

"Lord Raiden. What brings you to the base?"

"I am here due to Sub-zero's disappearance from the Wu Shi Academy. Master Bo Rai Cho and Li Mei contacted me and asked for me to locate him, and therefore, I was lead here."

Thinking back, Tomas felt guilty about not informing the academy that Kuai was alright. They had been in such a hurry to get to the Special Forces Base that that thought had not crossed his mind.

"Scorpion was the one who took him."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, but Sub-zero is alright. Scorpion's plan did not work as he had hoped."

"That is good to hear. Where is he now?"

"I do not know. I just returned from Outworld."

Liu Kang and Kung Lao suddenly looked confused and Raiden uncrossed his arms to let them fall at his sides.

"You went to Outworld alone? For what purpose?"

"I needed to take a little girl back to her home in Outworld. Somehow she made it to Earthrealm by mistake. And…I was also in need of information."

"What sort of information?"

"I will explain, but I think it may be better if everyone was here."

As if on cue, the sound of footsteps became audible and coming down the hallway were Raiden's other champions with Kuai and Cyrax in front. The group started to slow down once they noticed the thunder god was with Tomas, as well as the two Shaolin monks. Liu Kang eyes brightened when he saw Kitana, who immediately went to the monk's side. While her best friend was with her lover, Jade decided to check on Smoke along with everyone else. She was just as excited to see him as anyone. She even gave Tomas a small hug as she approached him.

"Are you alright? No one saw you, did they?"

"Fortunately, no. And thank the gods for that."

Seeing the worried look on Smoke's face, Raiden urged the silver-haired man to tell him what was going on and Smoke soon proceeded to do just that.

**Thirty Minutes Later…**

"So…if is just as I feared. Shao Kahn is indeed alive."

Raiden gripped his chin and looked down in thought. Everyone else shared looks of confusion and anger from the news. They all hoped that Scorpion had just been toying with them, but they knew deep down that he had been honest about Shao Kahn. Out of everyone, Liu Kang was the most upset and frustrated. He looked as though he wanted to punch a wall, but it was reasonable. The monk truly had believed that he had ended Shao Kahn for good, and now he had been told that the tyrant was still drawing breath. Was there really no way to defeat the emperor?

Liu Kang glanced at Kitana and saw that she was clearly disturbed, but it also seemed that she was not surprised about her father being alive. Like she knew that Shao Kahn was not finished and would return. He could only imagine the thoughts running through the princess' head. Jade too was worried about her sister, but she was more concerned about what they all should do next.

"Tomas, you said that Shao Kahn planned the invasion two days from now, correct?"

Tomas nodded in confirmation.

"Quan Chi needed more time to gather some materials for some sort of spell."

"Alright. Then we need to use that time to prepare."

At that, Raiden's head jerked up as a thought occurred to him. He thought back to an earlier vision he had when he convinced Kitana to turn against Shao Kahn. The thunder did not think much of it at first, but now, it makes sense.

"Lord Raiden?"

Not realizing he had spaced out, Raiden looked at Kung Lao, who had called his name, and noticed that everyone's eyes were now pinned on him. The god decided to tell his champions what he was thinking about.

"As I have told you all before, there is a barrier that prevents Shao Kahn from entering Earthrealm. It was created by Kitana's mother, Sindel."

Everyone nodded to show they were following what Raiden was saying.

"In order for this barrier to made, a sacrifice was required. Sindel killed herself to provide protection for Eartrealm using her own body as a shield. For that reason, Shao Kahn has not attempted to invade Earthrealm."

"So what's changed?"

Johnny asked the question everyone wanted an answer to. Why would Shao Kahn suddenly choose to invade Earthrealm knowing he physical cannot? Raiden shook his head.

"The only thing preventing Shao Kahn from invading is Sindel. In her current state."

Looks of confusion passed through the group, but realization hit Kitana instantly and she clenched her fists so tightly until they were shaking.

"They would not dare…"

"Kitana? What is it?"

Liu Kang grabbed Kitana's shoulders and made her look at him. Jade also ran to her friend's side, concerned.

"Necromancy."

Tomas whispered this to himself, but Kuai heard him and the cryomancer soon realized what his comrade meant. Wanting to confirm his suspicions, Smoke spoke up.

"Lord Raiden, if Shao Kahn has found a way to…resurrect Sindel...then the barrier she created will be destroyed, yes?"

Raiden stayed silent, but after a moment, he nodded. That was all the confirmation Tomas needed. Jade started to speak but looked down at the floor as she did.

"Quan Chi is a very powerful necromancer. It is possible that this spell of his has something to do with…"

"How dare he!?"

Kitana's outburst surprised everyone, including Liu Kang. She was so upset that she no longer had the strength to keep herself standing and would have fallen to her knees if Liu Kang had not been holding her. The princess could not even hold back her tears and allowed them to flow down her cheeks.

"Hold on a sec."

Johnny Cage step closer to Kitana with a frown on his face.

"This is your mom we're talking about. I mean yeah, if she's alive her spell stops working, but you get to see her again! Isn't that gr…?"

"Johnny."

Cage turned to face Smoke and when he saw the serious expression the silver-haired man wore, he shut his mouth. That is when Tomas began to explain the problem to the actor.

"Quan Chi has the power to resurrect the dead. Scorpion is one of the people he has brought back to life. But his new life comes with a price."

"A price?"

"Once Quan Chi resurrects someone, they are tainted with his dark magic. Corrupted. If Quan Chi brings back Sindel…she will not be the same as she was before her death."

"So…what you're saying is that if she comes back, she'll be working for Quan Chi? Like Scorpion?"

Smoke nodded.

"...Oh."

Now Johnny felt stupid about what he said to Kitana. No wonder she did not want Sindel to be brought back, even if she was the princess' mother. She would be a slave to Quan Chi and the spell she had cast to protect Earthrealm would be destroyed. To put it frankly, they were all screwed if Sindel was brought back to life.

"There's still time."

Sonya Blade was filled with determination as she spoke up.

"This is all just a theory right now, but better safe than sorry, right? What if we got to Sindel before Quan Chi does?"

Sniffing, Kitana raised her head up and stared at Sonya with wide eyes.

"What are you saying, Sonya?"

"I know you may be against what I'm about to say, but please hear me out, Kitana. Quan Chi would need to know where Sindel's body is in order to resurrect her, right?"

"As well as her soul."

Raiden added as he stood beside Sonya.

"Sindel's soul was sent to the Heavens as judged by the Elder Gods. Quan Chi gains warriors by using the damned souls of mortals who are fated to go to the Netherrealm. Stealing a soul from the realm of the Elder Gods is difficult, but not impossible. And even if he has Sindel's soul, you are right, Sonya. Quan Chi still needs a body to resurrect her."

"Exactly, and…"

"But that does not necessarily mean he needs HER body. With Shang Tsung's aid, I am sure they will be able to create an artificial body to place Sindel's soul."

"...Shit."

Sonya shook her head looking defeated. But Raiden said something that surprised her.

"If I explain the situation to the Elder Gods, perhaps I can speak directly to Sindel."

Kitana's eyes widen even more and she stepped closer to Raiden with a sliver of hope in her heart.

"You will be able to see my mother?"

"I am not sure, but I will do what I can. And if possible, you may accompany me if you wish, Kitana."

The princess could not believe what she was hearing. There was a chance that she could see her mother again! Kitana felt so elated that she though she was going to cry again, but she restrained herself and nodded. Raiden nodded back and then turned to Liu Kang and Kung Lao.

"I need you two to seek out Nightwolf. His assistance may be needed."

Liu Kang was bit reluctant about Raiden's order. He would rather go to the Heavens as well to look after Kitana, but before he could say anything to the thunder god, Kung Lao spoke first.

"As you wish, Lord Raiden."

"While you guys do that…."

Sonya held out her hand to Tomas.

"Why don't we see what's on that flash drive you got."

Smoke had almost forgotten about the drive. He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to Sonya, who took a minute to examine the flash drive before motioning everyone to follow her down the hall to another room. This one was filled with computers and a huge projector screen in the middle of the room. Sonya plugged in the flash drive into one computer and scanned the files that it contained.

"And you said you took this from a member of the Black Dragon, Tomas?"

"Yes. I remember Kano calling him "Kabal.""

"Kabal?"

That name sounded oddly familiar to the blonde. But she quickly shook it off. These files were what she needed to focus on now.

"Alright, Kano. What are you up to?"


	45. Chapter Forty-Four: Trust in the Spirits

**Chapter Forty-Four: Trust in the Spirits**

Miles of woodland covered the outskirts of the Special Forces and a beautiful lake was right in the middle of it all. Sitting near this very lake, a lone Native American sat cross-legged in the grass with his eyes closed. His focus was on the wind that flowed through his long, black hair and the birds that chirped within the trees and sky. He always felt a strong connection with nature and felt empowered by the various creatures and plant-life that surrounded him. As well as the spirits that watched over day after day. Being a shaman came with such perks.

One spirit in particular, a wolf, crept up to the Native American and nudged the man's knee with his snout. The wolf's form was blue and translucent and his eyes were all white. As his human companion opened their eyes, the wolf stared into them as if he was trying to tell the shaman something. The shaman seemed to understand what the spirit was saying seeing that he nodded his head and started to pet the wolf on his head.

"Greetings, my friends. I see that Hoakah is in need of my assistance."

Walking towards the Native American, Liu Kang and Kung Lao made their presence known and sat next to their comrade by the lake. The wolf walked around the two monks and watched them closely, even though he has seen them plenty of times before. Even so, the spirit was very protective of his master and though the shaman deemed Liu Kang and Kung Lao as friends, the wolf was not going to let his guard down.

"It is good to see you, Nightwolf. We were wondering where you went off to after the tournament on Shang Tsung's island."

Nightwolf kept a stoic expression on his face, which was not unusual to anyone who knew the shaman.

"I was using the time to speak and connect more with the spirits, Kung Lao. Recently, they have become a bit restless."

"Why is that?"

"I believe it has something to do with Shao Kahn."

Neither Liu Kang or Kung Lao said anything, but Nightwolf already knew what they wanted to say. It was the reason they were here in the first place.

"Shao Kahn is alive."

That was not a question. The monks nodded to confirm that Nightwolf was right. Not that they needed to.

"I see. This is why the spirits have been so uneasy. Especially Kiva."

When the wolf heard his name, Kiva trotted back to his owner. Although Liu Kang and Kung Lao could not see the spirit, they could tell it was somewhere nearby.

"And that is also why you are here. Where is Hoakah?"

Nightwolf was referring to Raiden. His people, the Lakota-Sioux, have always called the thunder god "Hoakah." Raiden did not seem to mind the name, so Nightwolf continues to refer to him as such in honor of his tribe.

"Lord Raiden has gone to consult with the Elder Gods along with Kitana."

"Shao Kahn's daughter? I heard about her rebelling against her father. Is she the reason for your silence, Liu Kang? You have not spoken a word since you arrived here."

Nightwolf was not teasing Liu Kang, he was only stating the obvious. Kung Lao, however, burst into laughter.

"You are worried about your girlfriend, aren't you?"

"She is not my girlfriend."

"Ah, he speaks!"

As he started laughing again, Liu Kang caught his cousin off guard and pushed Kung Lao into the lake. The hat-wearing monk only had time to let out a yelp before he crashed into the cool water. A few seconds later, Kung Lao reemerged from the water with his hair sticking to his face. He pulled the hair that had fallen over his eyes away and soon realized his razor-rimmed hat was no longer on his head.

"Looking for this?"

Kung Lao looked back at Liu Kang, who was waving his hat in the air. Liu Kang thought that would tick his cousin off, but instead, Kung Lao laughed even harder than before.

"There is no need to be so defensive, Liu Kang."

Looking away from Kung Lao, Liu Kang faced Nightwolf and frowned at the shaman.

"I am not getting defensive."

"Hmm."

Kung Lao made it back to shore and shook his head to shake some of the water out of it. The action reminding Liu Kang of a wet dog trying to dry itself and he did not appreciate the water that flew in his face.

"Would you stop that!?"

"You are the one who pushed me into the water! Now you must deal with the consequences."

As the monks continued to argue, Nightwolf could not help but shake his head. They were in the middle of a crisis and Liu Kang and Kung Lao were bickering like children. Now was not the time for this.

"Enough."

Nightwolf raised his voice just enough for his two comrades to hear him. They froze in place and looked at the Native American as he stood up from his spot in the grass.

"Kitana is not the only thing on your mind, now is she? The spirits tell me that you are in doubt, Liu Kang."

"Well, tell the spirits not worry about me."

"So you admit that that the spirits are corrrect?"

"I admit nothing, Nightwolf. Now are you coming with us or not?"

Liu Kang began to walk away and dropped his cousin's hat on the ground as he did. Kung Lao quickly scooped up the hat and caught up Liu Kang to grab his arm.

"Kung Lao, what are you…?"

"You know Nightwolf is right."

"Let go of me."

"Is this about Lord Raiden?"

Liu Kang snatched his arm away from Kung Lao and glared at his friend.

"Fine, you are right. But can you blame me for doubting his judgement!?"

"I should have known something was wrong after what happened in Outworld. You have never raised your voice to Raiden until that moment. I know, I was against leaving Kitana to die as well, but you have to understand, Raiden was trying to do what was best for us and Earthrealm. That is his duty."

"It is not only that, Kung Lao. You could have been killed by Shao Kahn! If Raiden had not allowed you to participate in the tournament…"

"You cannot blame that on Raiden! I wanted to fight just like everyone else. To protect Earthrealm."

"I know, but he could have stopped you!"

"Why? You do not think I can handle myself?"

"No, it is not that! I am just worried about you. You are my family, Kung Lao."

"Yes, and I chose to enter the tournament and fight for Earthrealm just as you did. Honestly, Liu Kang, what is this really about?"

Liu Kang shook his head and placed his hands on his hips while turning away from Kung Lao. After a minute of silence, Nightwolf decided to step in to diffuse the situation.

"I recall when Hoakah spoke to me about his first vision. "He must win." That phrase has him baffled for he is not sure who his future self was referring to. Yet, he believes that "He must win" refers to you, Liu Kang. But…you are starting to think that maybe Hoakah is wrong about you. Am I correct?"

He was not sure if it was the spirits' fault or not, but Liu Kang sometimes hated whenever Nightwolf just knew things that he had no business knowing. Liu Kang sighed.

"...I thought I had defeated Shao Kahn and saved Earthrealm from being merged with Earthrealm. I thought we were all safe and that I had done something that made me worthy of being called a champion. And now we find out Shao Kahn is alive and planning to invade Earthrealm in two days. I am not a hero. I am not a champion. I am NOT "He who must win." There. I said it."

Feeling even more frustrated, Liu Kang walked to a nearby tree and leaned against. The back of his head hit the bark with a small thud and he looked up into the sky watching as the clouds rolled by and birds flew past him. The monk felt so pathetic in that moment. Defeated. How could he let Raiden make him believe that he was special? That he was the one that would bring this war to an end?

Kung Lao could practically feel the stress and gloominess that radiated off his cousin. It was enough to make him feel depressed. The monk had not realized how much of a weight Liu Kang had been carrying on his shoulders. Or the weight that Liu Kang believed he had to carry. Kung Lao sighed and shook his head.

"Okay. Maybe "He must win" has nothing to do with you. Fine. So what?"

Liu Kang continued to look at the sky, but he had heard Kung Lao.

"If I am not Earthrealm's savior, then…what am I?"

"What are…what do you mean? You are a Shaolin monk! You are a fighter, Liu Kang, one of the best I know! When the other monks chose you to represent them the Shaolin in Mortal Kombat, I admit that I was jealous. I sometimes felt that I would always be second to you ."

"Kung Lao, you are just as a good a warrior as I am."

"You know that, and I know that. That is good enough for me. I know of my worth, Liu Kang. Do you know of yours?"

Liu Kang finally looked at Kung Lao and he smirked. That made Kung Lao feel proud of himself for getting his cousin out of his funk.

"I do, Kung Lao. Thank you. For once, the words that came out of your mouth actually meant something."

"Hey, I take offense to that!"

The Shaolin monks laughed and Nightwolf actually smiled at the two. That was a rare sighting, yet Liu Kang and Kung Lao were too busy enjoying the moment to notice. Once they were done, the shaman asked his comrades about what they planned to do about Shao Kahn. Liu Kang was the one who answered this time.

"There is no definite plan for this at the moment, but we have recently been able to acquire important information from Shao Kahn's fortress. The others are viewing it as we speak."

"You infiltrated Shao Kahn's fortress?"

"Not us. It was another warrior named Smoke. He is a former member of the Lin Kuei and his unique abilities allowed him to enter the fortress and get out without being seen."

"Impressive."

Something warm and fuzzy brushed his hand and Nightwolf looked down to see Kiva had nuzzled his hand. It would seem that the wolf was just as eager to get going as everyone else.

"Let us go. We should not waste anymore time."

Liu Kang and Kung Lao nodded and they led the way back to the base. Luckily, Nightwolf had been staying close to the base as suggested by Raiden in case of an emergency, so it would not be such a long journey back. And both of the monks were glad that they had come to look for Nightwolf. Their conversation has really been an eye-opener and it was better that they had it now instead of later on. Who knows what would have happened if any of them were to snap in the middle of a battle due to being so stressed.

**I know in MK11 that the wolf's name is spelled Kiba, but I am sticking to the way it was spelled in Defenders of the Realms with a "V" instead of a "B." I do not know if that is the** **correct spelling or if it was a mistake, so if anyone knows, please tell me because I am confused! I probably will not change it anyway, but I am just curious. And I know that Nightwolf now belongs to the Matoka tribe instead of the Lakota-Sioux, but I just kept him as the latter tribe. I did not know about** **this change until later on and honestly, I did not think it would make much of a difference. So if anyone has a problem with that, I am sorry.**


	46. Chapter Forty-Five: For Heaven's Sake

**Chapter Forty-Five: For Heaven's Sake**

Again, Raiden stood in the realm of the Elder Gods surrounded by the six deities. Kitana stood close to him in silence and stared at the gods in amazement. To be in the presence of the Elder Gods was an honor she never thought she would have. Even if she wanted to talk, her shock prevented her from doing so, so she let Raiden do the talking.

"Elder Gods, I have come seeking an audience with a soul that resides here."

"For what purpose, Raiden?"

"This soul may very well be in grave danger. We believe that the sorcerer Quan Chi plans to take the soul from this realm."

"And whose soul does the sorcerer intend to take?"

Raiden motioned to Kitana.

"The woman who has accompanied is the daughter of this soul. She is…"

"Princess Kitana. We know of this mortal."

"Then you know of the soul I speak of."

"Indeed. What exactly do you plan to do with Sindel?"

"At the moment, I only wish to speak to her about our current situation."

"Are you speaking of Shao Kahn?"

His face did not portray it, but Raiden was shocked at what the Elder Gods had asked. If they had already known that Shao Kahn was alive, then why was Raiden not informed? Then the thunder god thought back to his amulet when more cracks had appeared after Shao Kahn's defeat. He had ignored it at the time thinking that it was a mistake, but maybe the Elder Gods had tried to warn him before. Whatever the reason, Raiden still needed to talk to Sindel and he was not going to be able to do that if he started questioning the gods' actions.

"...Yes."

"Hmm…very well. If it shall help you in the future, you may speak to Sindel. However…"

The Elder Gods' eyes fell on Kitana.

"She is your responsibility, Raiden. We do not usually allow mortals to speak to the souls here, but seeing as you brought her here by choice and she is Sindel's daughter, we will make an exception."

Raiden nodded and soon, a blinding light engulfed him and Kitana. The two had to close their eyes to shield them from the light, but when they opened them again, Raiden and Kitana had been transported to a field filled with flowers. Flowers of all colors surrounded them along with a beautiful blue sky devoid of clouds. Raiden had witnessed this scene many times, but Kitana was absolutely mesmerized by the sight. A true paradise in her eyes.

The princess turned a full circle to take in her surroundings and as she did, she spotted someone nearby. Raiden was already walking towards the stranger, who was kneeling in the grass to admire a few flowers. Violets. She had her back turned to the thunder god and did not know of his presence until he tapped her on her shoulder. Watching from a distance, Kitana saw Raiden and the woman exchange some words before turned to look at her. The princess took that as her cue to join the conversation. Kitana moved towards Raiden as he helped the stranger to her feet. This gave Kitana a clear view of the woman's features. She had long gray hair with a black streak that ran down the middle of it and her eyes were all white. She also wore a purple robe that covered her bare feet and she had placed a violet behind her left ear. Whoever this person was, Kitana thought she was quite beautiful.

When she was close enough, Kitana and the woman stared at each other in curiosity. Raiden watched as the two women silently and waited for one of them to speak. Fortunately, Kitana soon broke the silence.

"Are you…Sindel?"

Kitana felt stupid for asking that question, but she had no idea how her mother looked like. Sindel had died when Kitana was still just a baby, so she could not recall any memories of that time. She did not even have a picture of the queen to hang on to.

"Ki…Kitana?"

The grey-haired woman reached up and cupped Kitana's cheek with her hand. Hesistantly, Kitana laid her hand on top of the woman's, who had tears in her eyes.

"I will leave you two to get reacquainted."

Raiden excused himself and walked a good distance away to give the women some privacy. It had been many years the two have seen each other and there must a lot that they wanted to discuss. But their time was limited. Their were other important they needed to attend to after all. Once he was away, Kitana repeated her earlier question.

"Are you really Sindel?"

"...I did not expect for you to remember me. You were but an infant when I…Oh gods, I am so sorry."

Kitana had not expected to be pulled into such a tight embrace by the other woman, who she now knew had to be her mother. The woman, Sindel, sobbed into Kitana's shoulder and her daughter slowly wrapped her own arms around the Sindel. That only made her mother cry harder.

"There is no excuse for me leaving you there with Shao Kahn, but…I thought it was the only way to save you, as well as another realm from suffering the same fate as Edenia. I thought I was doing the right thing."

"Sind…Mother…you did do the right thing. I am not angry with you for sacrificing yourself. In fact, I admire you for that. And for what you did to protect me."

Kitana gently pulled Sindel away so she could look at her mother.

"You do not know how happy I am to see you after all these years. It pained me that I could not even remember your face. Jade was the one who kept your memory alive, for her and me."

"She was always a fighter, just like her father. I had asked her to watch over you and you know what she told me?"

Kitana shook her head.

"Jade was crying when I told her I was…leaving…but even as tears streaked down her face, she gave me a big smile and said, "I will protect Kitana with my life, your highness. That is my duty as a soldier." Her parents would be proud and I am relieved to know that you and Jade are alright."

"Yes, and I can assure you, she has done an incredible job protecting me. Even when I turned against Shao Kahn, Jade never left my side."

Sindel was glad to hear that. She knew she had made the right decision to place her trust in Jade. If Edenia had not merged with Outworld, the former queen would have been happy to accept Jade into the Royal Guard. Or even as her or Kitana's personal bodyguard.

"I see that Jade did not accompany you and Raiden. Where is she?"

"She thought it would be good if I were to speak with you alone, so she stayed behind to help the other Earthrealmers that took us in. But to be honest, I believe she has found a certain…person of interest."

"You mean a man has caught her eye? Fascinating."

Kitana has not spoken to her friend about it yet, but the princess believed that a certain silver-haired man had become Jade's love interest. This was the perfect thing she felt that a mother and daughter should talk about and apparently Sindel was interested in the subject.

"Well, whoever this man is, I hope he treats her well."

"As do I, Mother."

Feeling that their conversation has gone on long enough, Raiden walked back to the Edenians and looked directly at Sindel.

"I truly apologize, Sindel, but we must tell you the reason for our visit. It concerns Shao Kahn."

"What about him? He did not win the last tournament, did he?"

"No, but that is not stopping him from invading Earthrealm."

"Invasion? That cannot be so, I…"

"We know of your spell. That is exactly why we are here. We have reason to believe that someone is will attempt to abduct you from the Heavens."

Sindel was not sure what to say about that. She did not think that such a feat was even possible.

"Who is this person you speak of?"

"A sorcerer from the Netherrealm. Quan Chi. Using necromancy, he plans to revive you so that the barrier you placed to on Earthrealm will be no more."

"Necromancy…a terrible fate. If he successfully resurrects me, I will become a slave to his will."

"We will not allow that to happen."

Kitana held on to her mother's hand with both of hers as she assured Sindel of her safety.

"I promise you, Mother, I will not let anyone take you."

"Kitana, please, I do not want you to risk your life for me."

Before Kitana could say something else, Raiden spoke.

"It is not just your life that is at stake here, Sindel. Earthrealm's fate depends on your resurrection."

"Yes, I know. So, what shall we do about that? There is not much I can do here even after hearing your warning."

Raiden nodded. If Quan Chi casts his spell, there was no way she could counter it. They can hope that when that moment comes, Sindel may be able to fight his control, but that was a slim possibility. As powerful as she was, Quan Chi's magic is something that even a god would have trouble fighting against.

"Raiden?"

The thunder god glanced at Kitana.

"What do we do? There must be something we can do to protect my mother."

"...Maybe…."

A thought occurred to Raiden, but he doubt it would do him any good. The idea he had was a long-shot and he did not think that the Elder Gods would agree to his demands. But if it was to save Earthrealm, why would they disapprove? Shao Kahn had lost the tournament fairly and now he was retaliating by invading Earthrealm after they had won their freedom? Raiden could not allow this to stand.

"Sindel…would you agree to accompanying Kitana and I back to Earthrealm?"


	47. Chapter Forty-Six: Promises

**Chapter Forty-Six: Promises**

The time was 9:34 and still Raiden and Kitana had not returned from the Heavens. Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Nightwolf had arrived a few hours ago and Sonya Blade explained what was on the flash drive that Smoke had taken. It turns out that they were right about Quan Chi and his intentions to steal Sindel's soul. Kano had made a whole video boasting about how Outworld was going to win the war against Earthrealm and he was going to get paid quite generously for his services. Sonya could tell that the Australian was drunk at the time seeing as he had a beer bottle in his hand and he was slurring his words. Two of his men eventually came to stop his rambling, but not before Kano started shaking his butt in front of the screen while saying "Earthrealm can kiss my ass!" That was when the video cut off.

Kano also said something about the invasion beginning in Deacon City, which everyone had already assumed since Scorpion was able to find both Tomas and Johnny Cage there. It had been an accident, but the champions were sure that the Shirai Ryu had informed Quan chi of where he had seen the two warriors. Even if he had found Sub-zero at the Wushi Academy, Shao Kahn was not about to plan an attack there again after what happened last time. Many of the Tarkatans that he used for that invasion had been killed and after the last tournament, their numbers have more than likely dropped drastically.

Once she had finished, Sonya suggested that they all stayed in the base or somewhere nearby until Raiden came back. It was already late too, so everyone had decided just to stay the night. Sonya and Jax showed their comrades to rooms that were not occupied by anyone and told them they could use those rooms to rest. Around that time, Johnny's stomach started grumbling.

"Heh, heh. Guess it has been a while since I've eaten. With all this stuff happening, I didn't even notice how hungry I am."

Cage rubbed the back of his neck nervously as if he was waiting for someone to comment about his ignorance. But no one judged him. In fact, everyone thought it would be a good idea to get something to eat.

"I think everyone's pretty hungry."

Sonya clasped her hand on Johnny's shoulder and smiled.

"Let's go to the cafeteria. No, they don't have fancy food like you're used to, but I say it's still really good, Cage."

"I'm willing to try it if you say it's good. You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. Follow me, everyone. I'll lead the way."

No one objected to that, so Johnny, Jax, Kuai, and Tomas began to follow Sonya to the cafeteria. Liu Kang and Kung Lao were in the training room sparring while Nightwolf was meditating elsewhere. Cyrax was busy trying to decrypt some classified files that had been found deep within the drive. While they were walking down the hall, Smoke had noticed that Jade had stayed behind. She was just standing in the middle of the hallway looking down and had not realized that everyone had left her.

"Are you coming, Jade?"

That snapped the Edenian out of her trance. She quickly shook her head to hide her embarrassment for spacing out like that.

"N..No. I think I will…go for a walk. Yes."

She would not admit it, But Tomas could tell that Jade was worried about Kitana. She had wanted to give Kitana and Sindel some time to themselves, but did not feel right about letting her best friend go off on her own. Of course the Edenian trusted that Raiden would keep Kitana safe. That was not his duty thought. It was Jade's.

"Would you mind if I accompany you?"

Jade had just turned around when Smoke asked her that. She wanted to be alone, but she did not want to tell Tomas no. Although, the Edenian felt that if anyone else had asked her that, she would have insisted on going by herself. That thought confused her.

".…Of course. I would like that."

"Very well. After you."

Jade nodded and she and Smoke began walking in the opposite direction of their friends. Sub-zero noticed this, even though everyone else was too busy thinking about food to see that two people from their group had vanished. He did not say anything about it, however. The cryomancer simply smirked and let Tomas and Jade leave. There was no need to bother them and ruin their moods.

Smoke and Jade walked for some time before they finally stopped at a platform where they could see some of the air crafts the Special Forces had. Past those machines, there was a nice view of the night sky and the full moon that sat within it. Tomas stuffed his hands into his hoodie pockets and let out a breath.

"Today has been a very long day. I am honestly exhausted, but…I cannot seem to rest, no matter how much I want to."

"I understand what you mean. And yes, today has been quite long. I just wish it will end."

"Heh. Me too."

A small breeze flew past the two warriors and it made Jade shiver. It was definitely colder outside than it was inside. The Edenian was not used to such cold temperatures in Outworld, so it was going to take some time to adjust to that. Smoke glanced at Jade and could see that she was uncomfortable with the weather. He was not fazed by the cold due to his time around his cryomancer brethren. Even as he took off his hoodie, the silver-haired man could not care less about the drop in temperature. Besides, if he did happen to get cold, he can simply raise his body temperature to warm himself.

"Here. This will keep you warm."

Tomas held out his hoodie to Jade, but she shook her head.

"No, thank you. I could not…"

"It is fine, I insist. Take it. Please."

Hesitantly, Jade took the hoodie and slipped over her head. It was too big for her, as she already knew it would be, but it was warm and it even smelled nice. It smelled…like Tomas. That thought made the Edenian blush and she hid her face in the sleeves of the hoodie.

"Thank you."

That "thank you" came out as a barely audible whisper, but Smoke understood what Jade had said.

"You are welcome. Is it…is it comfortable?"

"Oh, yes. It is."

Tomas smiled widen and Jade could not help but smile back. It was contagious coming from the silver-haired man. The Edenian lowered his sleeves and folded her arms over her chest.

"Tomas…were you not hungry?"

"Huh?"

"While everyone else was going to the cafeteria, you decided to come with me. Were not hungry as well?"

"Oh, right. No, I was not hungry."

His stomach growling told Jade otherwise. Truth be told, Smoke was hungry, but he had felt the need to go with Jade instead. His concern for her overruled his own hunger. Jade's smile widened.

"If you are worried about me, Tomas, then I insist that you do not. I will be fine, really. Go and take care of that upset stomach of yours."

"It can wait. Besides, if I go, I would rather it be with you."

The incredulous look Jade gave him made Smoke realize what he had said. Now he was the one looking away so the Edenian would not see him blushing.

"I..I meant that…I do not want to leave you…alone and…I w..would not feel right just…"

Jade's sudden burst of laughter stopped Tomas from saying anything else. How wonderful her laugh sounded in his ears. Jade gently grabbed Tomas' chin and turned his head around so she could look at him. The Edenian made no comment about the blush that was still evident on the silver-haired man's face.

"I understand. And that is very sweet of you, Tomas. But as I have said, I will be fine. I can take care of myself."

"Believe me, I know. But…I am your friend. I cannot help but worry about your well-being."

"Again, that is sweet. However, I do not want my friends to go hungry because of their concern for me."

Smoke chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. As he did, Jade saw how his hair glistened in the moonlight and how freely it flowed in the wind. Tomas, too, was examining Jade, but it was not her hair that he was interested in. It was her eyes. Emerald eyes that glowed in the night. He had been hypnotized by those gems since the first time he had seen Jade. So intrigued by each other's appearance that Smoke and Jade had not perceived just how close they had gotten. Clearing his throat, Tomas took a step back to put some distance back between him and Jade.

"May I ask you a question, Jade?"

"Of course. Anything."

"When all of this is over and Shao Kahn is defeated…what do you plan to do in the future?"

"Well, I…I suppose I have not thought that far. Even during these few days I have been free from Shao Kahn's rule, I only wished to be able to see another day. To not have to look over my shoulder for someone who wants to kill me. I still feel that need now."

Jade then literally looked over her shoulder for intruders. She knew that no one was around, yet she could not help herself. Being surrounded by assassins and murderers for most of her life have made the Edenian very paranoid. But Smoke knew that feeling all too well.

"Jade…"

Jade turned back to Tomas and she was curious as to why he had his fist over his heart. The serious look on the man's face, however, made Jade stay silent.

"You will not be going against Shao Kahn and his army alone. You have many friends who will lay down their lives for you, because they care for you, Jade. I care for you. And that is why when this war begins, I will do everything in my power to make sure you live to see another day and many more after that. I swear on my life."

Looking into his eyes, Jade believed every word that Smoke had said. His words made the Edenian speechless and all she could do was stare at Tomas with wide eyes A moment had passed, and Jade soon raised her fist over her own heart.

"And I swear, on my life, that I will do the same for you. I will not allow Shao Kahn to hurt those that I care about, and that includes you, Tomas Vrbada."

They both put their fists down and as they did, they heard footsteps and voices coming their way. Bursting through the double doors, Kung Lao froze when he saw Smoke and Jade staring at him.

"Uh…am I interrupting something?"

The look on the monk's face made both Tomas and Jade chuckle. While they were laughing, Kung Lao noticed that Jade was wearing Smoke's hoodie. He chuckled to himself.

_Love. Even in a crisis, it still manages to slither its way into people's hearts._


	48. Chapter Forty-Seven: Common Ground

**Chapter Forty-Seven: Common Ground**

At around eleven o'clock, the Champions of Light decided to turn in for the night. Raiden had contacted the warriors some time before that and informed them that there were a few things he needed to take care of in the Heavens before he and Kitana would return. He said to expect them early tomorrow morning. After having dinner, Tomas and Jade finally parted ways and headed to their rooms. Smoke did not want to leave his Edenian comrade, but he needed to get some sleep. After all, there was an important matter he needed to attend to soon.

The silver-haired man quickly changed and climbed into his bed, not even bothering to pull the sheets over him. Although he knew what was to come once he closed his eyes, Tomas could not fight back as sleep immediately took him in its embrace. He had about five seconds of bliss before his eyes flew open again. In the void of his mind, Smoke slowly stood up and looked around for any signs of life. All that he could see was darkness.

**"Took you long enough."**

Of course Tomas was not surprised by Enenra's voice. He simply turned around and faced the demonic creature with a stoic expression on his face. Its giant feet shook the ground as it walked up to its guest and leaned its head down so its eyes were leveled to Smoke's face.

"I had other priorities that needed to be taken care of."

**"But of course. You were practically drooling over that Edenian, were you not?"**

"Jade is none of your concern and you better not do anything to harm her."

Enenra laughed.

**"I could not care less about who you wish to sleep with. As long as I get a turn with her."**

Clenching his fists, Tomas glared at the demon. Enenra spoke about Jade as thought she was nothing but a sex toy. But Smoke would never think of her that way. Ever. As much as he wanted to strike the beast, Tomas knew how badly that was going to turn out for him and those he cared about. Besides, there was a reason the silver-haired man agreed to talk to Enenra in the first place.

"You said you would give me answers if I came to you tonight. Well…here I am."

**"So I see."**

"Then here is my first question. Who are you?"

**"I am sure that Pyros has already told you the answer to that."**

"I want to hear it from you."

**"...Very well. As you may already know, Enenras are demons who possess the bodies of those with pure hearts. Like those of children."**

Hearing the word "children," Tomas felt as though an arrow had been pierced straight through his soul. It reminded him of the eighteen children who had died because of Enenra's attempts to possess them. The demon had noticed its host's discomfort, but continued speaking as though it had not.

**"My kind were respected in the Netherrealm due to our status as Lord Shinnok's personal assassins."**

"The Fallen Elder God?"

**"Yes. Enenras were the ideal killers for our skills in stealth and ability to escape capture. Does that sound familiar, Tomas?"**

Indeed, it did, but Smoke did not say anything. He did not need to since Enenra already knew his answer.

**"At first, us Enenras had no problem with serving the Fallen Elder God. In fact, we were honored and would have protected Shinnok with our lives. After so many years wandering aimlessly throughout the Netherrealm, we had finally found a purpose."**

"So what happened?"

**"Fear. When Quan Chi came to Shinnok's side, that damned sorcerer convinced our former master that we were a threat to his rule. So…Shinnok made us his prisoners. Locked us in cages deep within his fortress until we were needed. The only thing that prevented us from rebelling against Shinnok was his amulet. The one Quan Chi now has in his possession."**

"Are you speaking of the one he wears on his belt?"

Enenra nodded, or at least Tomas thought it nodded. The demon's shapeless form made it hard for Smoke to recognize its movements.

**"Does this form bother you?"**

The beast must have caught Tomas staring at it. He looked away from Enenra.

"N..No. It is just…strange."

**"Hmph."**

Enenra closed its eyes and in a second, its body dispersed into the darkness. Clouds of smoke surrounded Tomas and he wondered what had happened to the demon. In response to that thought, the smoke clouds suddenly merged back together and they began to form into a more define and smaller shape. More…human. The smoke cleared from around the newly formed body and the figure that was revealed let out a breath with its eyes closed.

"It took me some time to perfect this form. In my opinion, I abhor it."

Enenra ran a hand through its blood-red hair and opened its eyes. The irises of its eyes were just as red as its hair while its slit pupils and the outside of the eyes were black. If it were not for these differences in features, Smoke could say that Enenra looked much like him. Even its voice sounded like the silver-haired man's, but a bit deeper. The demon also wore clothes similar to what Tomas had went to sleep in, a white t-shirt and gray jogging pants, but Enenra's clothes were all black. Maybe that was where Smoke got his obsession with black from.

"So why did you transform?"

"If I am going to tell my story, I wish to do so without you gawking at me like a fish deprived of water. Now, where was I? Ah yes, the amulet."

"The Grandmaster made Bi-han risk his life to find that amulet for Quan Chi. What is so important about it?"

"Tomas, that amulet is the source of incredible power. Anyone who manages to get their hands on it will gain a tremendous boost of strength. It is similar to the Dragon Medallion Oniro wears."

"That medallion is why Oniro is so powerful?"

"Only those that the medallion chooses as its wielder will gain its power. You cannot just take it."

"I see."

That piece of information was useful. If Smoke happened to encounter Oniro again, he should try to take the Dragon Medallion. He did not care to use its power, but if the Grandmaster no longer had the medallion, maybe that will weaken him. And that would be the perfect moment to strike.

"It would be. Great minds do think alike."

Oh. Right. Tomas had forgotten that he was speaking inside his mind and Enenra could easily hear his thoughts as if they were its own.

"I suppose you did that to Shinnok, right?"

"Indeed, and the look of pure terror on his face as his most valuable possession was stripped from his grasp was priceless. Once the amulet was ours, the Enenras used it to free ourselves from our prisons and we almost escaped the fortress. Almost."

"What stopped you?"

"Kronika. Shinnok's mother. Her obsession with keeping the balance of good and evil lead her to us. We were a….contradiction in that balance. You see, Shinnok represents darkness and chaos while his sister, Cetrion, represents light and life. If something tries to tip the scales of that balance between them, whether it is for light or dark, Kronika will put an end to it."

"And so…she tried to exterminate you and your kind."

"She did not try, she succeeded. I have no clue as to how I survived her massacre, but I am sure I am the only Enenra left. As my last act of rebellion against that cursed Titan and her children, I hid Shinnok's amulet within the Temple of Elements and went into hiding. That is how I came to be in Earthrealm."

"And since you cannot last long in Earthrealm without a body, you possessed people one by one until you found me."

Smoke actually started to feel bad for Enenra. Its people were driven to extinction because Shinnok began to fear their power. If a fallen Elder God was scared of what the Enenras were capable of, then how powerful was the demon that currently resided in Tomas' body? How powerful…was Tomas himself? The silver-haired man looked down at his now shaking hands and Enenra scoffed when it saw the look on his host's face.

"What? Are you afraid of my power? Or are you afraid of what you could do with my power?"

"I do not want your power."

"Too bad. As long as I am here, my power is yours. At least to a certain extent."

"Why can you not just leave?"

"I have already told you, I cannot. There is something that is keeping me trapped within your body."

"What is it?"

"A seal. A powerful one at that. And the only thing that can break it is Shinnok's amulet. How ironic that the one thing that I have come to despise may save me from a life of imprisonment in your body."

"So that is what you are after."

To think that that amulet was the only object Tomas needed to be free of Enenra was unbelievable. It will be incredibly difficult for him to get anywhere near Quan Chi, but he was going to do it. No matter what it takes, Smoke was going to get Shinnok's amulet.

"Satisfied?"

Turning back to the demon, Tomas saw how bored Enenra looked. With its human form, the silver-haired man could clearly see how Enenra felt through its facial expressions.

"For now."

"Hmph. Humans are never truly satisfied with anything. They always want more."

Smoke ignored the demon's comments and instead asked Enenra another question.

"What do you plan to do once you are free?"

"That is none of your concern, boy."

"Just as long as your goals do not include harming anymore innocent people."

"And if they do?"

"Then I shall have to do something about that."

Tomas' serious tone made Enenra chuckle. In a flash, the demon had pinned Smoke to the floor by his throat before the silver-haired man realized what had happened. He grunted as Enenra apply pressure on his throat making it hard for him to breath.

"Let me make this as clear as I possibly can. You are nothing without me. NOTHING. The only reason I told you my story is because as much as the thought pains me, we will have to work together in order get Shinnok's amulet. Do not mistake me willingly giving you information for me trying to be your friend. Remember that."

Enenra slowly released Tomas from its hold and watched as its host coughed and rubbed his throat. The demon sneered.

"Do not let Pyros put it into your head that you are "special." You are not. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Disappearing into the darkness, Enenra shouted one last thing to Smoke before he vanished completely.

"You better hurry and wake up. I am sure you would not like having your throat sliced open."


	49. Chapter Forty-Eight: This Means War

**Chapter Forty-Eight: This Means War**

The feeling of cold metal against his throat greeted Tomas as he awoke from his slumber. Seeing the blade gave the silver-haired man an adrenaline rush and he instinctively transformed into smoke before the Tarkatan moved to cut his throat. The creature was confused as to how his target managed to move out of the way of his weapon so quickly. But he had no time to ponder on that thought as he neck was twisted from behind. His lifeless body dropped to the floor with a loud thump.

Smoke took that moment to calm himself. He had not expected to be thrown back into the real world just to be attacked by a Tarkatan and he needed a minute to think. Letting out a breath, Tomas looked down at the dead Tarkatan that laid in the middle of the floor.

_What the hell is a Tarkatan doing here? Are there any more around the base?_

Something in the corner of his eye drew Smoke to the window to his right. He walked to the window and placed his hands on the windowsill as he looked out. In this case, Tomas was not greeted by a lovely morning sky as he had hoped. Instead, just beyond the mountains, a huge storm cloud had formed in the distance. This was no ordinary storm cloud, however. Flashes of green light pulsated from within the storm and the energy it produced was incredibly strong. Whatever this what, it was not a natural phenomena. At least not to Earthrealm.

A shout from outside Tomas' room made the silver-haired man drop into his fighting stance. As he did, the door was pushed off its hinges and thrown into the room with another Tarkatan laying on it. This one had a knife made out of ice sticking out of its head. Stepping over the body, Kuai entered the room with his signature Kori Blade in his right hand.

"Are you alright, Tomas?"

"Yes. I love waking up to the sight of a Tarkatan looming over me."

Ignoring his friend's sarcasm, Sub-zero looked over at the Tarkatan that Smoke had killed just moments before. Tomas quickly put on some clothes while the cryomancer waited for him.

"Did Shao Kahn start his invasion early?"

"I honestly do not know, but we need to check around the base for any more intruders. I doubt that we were the only ones who were attacked."

Smoke nodded and followed Sub-zero out of his room just as he was slipping his black hoodie on. They sprinted down the halls taking down any Tarkatans that happened to cross their path and soon found Sonya and Jax fighting off a horde of the bladed creatures. The two Special Forces members were back to back as the Tarkatans surrounded them. Tomas and Kuai nodded to each other and without saying a word, they charged at their targets. While the Tarkatans were still distracted, Smoke flipped over two of them and threw two kunai knives at their heads, which instantly killed them. At the same time, Sub-zero froze the Tarkatan in front of him and smashed it into pieces with his fist.

Now that the Tarkatans were aware of Tomas and Kuai's presence, they turned their attention to the former Lin Kuei. That was a big mistake. As soon as they turned their backs, Jax slammed his arm down into the floor to create a shock wave within the ground. The ground pound knocked that Tarkatans into the air before they could lay a hit on Smoke and Sub-zero and once she raised her arm, Sonya shot energy blasts at the Tarkatans using her wrist and Kuai Liang watched as the Tarkatans fell back to the earth and saw how they were all missing some body parts. The Tarkatans were not good-looking to begin with, but now they looked downright disgusting.

"Thanks for the save. Jax and I were in a really tight spot."

Sonya withdrew her arm and she and Jax approached Smoke and Sub-zero.

"First the Wushi Academy, and now this? What is with these things?"

Jax shook his head in disgust as he looked at the fallen Tarkatans. A growl from behind startled everyone and they all turned to see another Tarkatan about to attack. It roared as it charged towards the group with its arm blades drawn, but it did not have the chance to strike anyone before it was stopped. Kiva pounced onto the Tarkatan and sunk his fangs into the creature's neck. Its howled as it tried to pull the wolf off of it, but Kiva refused to let go and clamped his teeth down harder into his target. Soon enough, the Tarkatan stopped struggling and fell to the ground with the spirit still clinging onto it. Kiva let go once he was sure that his enemy was dead.

The wolf then turned to the four people he had just saved. Tomas, however, could feel Kiva's gaze on him specifically. He watched as the spirit trotted up to him and held out his paw. With a bit of hesitation, Smoke knelt down and shook Kiva's paw.

"Uh, Tomas…what are you doing?"

Tomas dropped the wolf's paw and turned his head to look at Kuai.

"He held out his paw, so I shook it."

"What are you talking about?"

"The wolf?"

Tomas motioned his hand to Kiva, who was scratching his head with his back leg, and arched an eyebrow. He did not understand the confused looks that Sub-zero, Sonya, and Jax were giving him.

"Kiva."

Kiva looked back and saw Nightwolf jogging towards him. The shaman stopped beside Kiva and patted the spirit's head.

"Kiva. That is his name?"

Nightwolf stopped petting Kiva and looked up at Smoke.

"Can you…see Kiva?"

"Of course. I must admit, the way he took down that Tarkatan was incredible and…"

"Amazing."

Tomas did not expect for Nightwolf to grab his shoulder and hold him still. The silver-haired man was confused by the action, but Nightwolf said nothing as he stared at him.

"You can also communicate with spirits?"

"Excuse me?"

Nightwolf frowned and closed his eyes. A second later, Tomas' eyes widened as a bear appeared out of nowhere. Unlike Kiva, the bear was orange in color. The Native American could feel Smoke stiffen under his grip as the silver-haired man watched the bear approach them.

"It seems that you can only see the spirits I call forth. The spirit you see now is called Komo."

"Wait, spirit?"

"Alright, explain. Now."

Tomas and Nightwolf looked away from Komo and looked at Kuai, who had his arms crossed over his chest.

"As a shaman, I have the ability to speak with the spirits. Your friend here seems to have the same ability."

"You mean you can communicate with ghosts?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes."

"Hold on."

Smoke shook his head and held his hands up to get Nightwolf and Sub-zero to stop talking.

"You cannot see the animals?"

Kuai shook his head.

"And neither can you?"

Tomas pointed at Sonya and Jax, who both shook their heads. So they really were spirits. But if they are, how is Smoke able to see them? He suspected it had something to do with Enenra. It was a demon, so it would make sense that it can see spirits since it came from the Netherrealm, which is the home of many spirits. This new ability could come in handy to Tomas, but as Nightwolf said, the only spirits he can communicate with are the ones the shaman called out. He cannot call the spirits out on his own.

"This has come as quite a surprise, Tomas."

Everyone froze in their spots and looked back. Surely enough, Raiden was the one who had spoken and was now coming their way. Another person, who was wearing a purple cloak with the hood pulled over their face, walked behind him. Jax was the first to address the thunder god.

"Raiden. When did you get here?"

"We have only just arrived. We met Liu Kang and Kung Lao at the entrance of the base and and helped them dispose the last of the Tarkatans that had attacked. I sent Kitana and Johnny Cage to search the rest of the base for any Tarkatans that we may have missed as well as to locate all of you."

"Looks like the only ones that haven't been accounted for are Cyrax and Jade."

As if on cue, something crashed through the entrance doors and skidded across the floor until it stopped at Raiden's feet. Another dead Tarkatan with a boomerang stuck in its head.

"That should be the last of them."

Stepping into the room, Jade, Kitana, Cyrax, and Johnny Cage joined the others and Jade called her boomerang back to her.

"It would seem that way."

Coming from the back door, Liu Kang and Kung Lao also joined the rest of the Champions of Light. They were now all together and it was time for Raiden to explain some things to his warriors.

"This assault by the Tarkatans was only a distraction. Shao Kahn himself has not appeared in Earthrealm yet, but it is only a matter of time."

The thunder god then turned to the hooded figure behind him.

"Allow me to introduce you to the former Queen of Edenia."

Kitana stood beside the stranger as they took off their hood. Long, gray hair cascaded down her back and her dull eyes scanned the other fighters around her as they watched her.

"It is a pleasure to meet you all. You may call Sindel."

A few gasps escaped from the group as they looked at the elderly woman. She bore some resemblance to Kitana and that showed even more as she smiled at everyone. Her smile was actually comforting considering their current situation. Kitana grasped her mother's hand and smiled back at her, as did Jade as she stared at Sindel with tears in her eyes.

"My queen. You are…"

Sindel's smile widened and she held her arms out to Jade.

"It is me, my dear."

Without hesitation, Jade ran into Sindel's arms and sobbed into her shoulder. The queen embraced the crying Edenian and she, too, started to cry.

"Oh, Jade. You have grown into a fine warrior. Just like your father."

"My queen, you do not know how much that means to me. I have missed you."

"I missed you too. Please forgive me for leaving so suddenly when you were a child."

"No."

Jade pulled back to look at Sindel.

"You have nothing to apologize for."

"That is right, Mother."

Kitana grabbed one of Sindel and Jade's shoulders to get their attention. Sindel cried even harder and pulled Kitana into the hug as well.

"Sorry to ruin the reunion, guys…"

The Edenians looked up at Johnny, who had an unusually serious look on his face, and stared at him with wide eyes.

"But if you're really Sindel, then doesn't that mean that your spell isn't working anymore? I mean the one you…?"

"I know what you are talking about. And you are right, uh…"

"Johnny. Johnny Cage. You know, Citizen Cage? Ninja Mi…?"

A slap on the back of his head shut Cage up and he turned around to see that it was Smoke he hit him. Again. The silver-haired man frowned at Johnny as the actor rubbed his head.

"Sorry. It's a habit, okay?"

"One I hope you break someday."

Hoping to diffuse the situation before it could escalate, Raiden brought everyone's attention back on him to further explain their ordeal.

"Sindel's resurrection was inevitable. If Quan Chi had brought her back himself, she would have been made into his slave. But now since the Elder Gods have allowed her to come back to the living world, Sindel is on our side and her power will be of great use to us."

If they were being honest with themselves, none of the Champions of Light were surprised about Sindel's return. Somehow they all knew that Shao Kahn was going to enter Earthrealm one way or another, so when Raiden confirmed their suspicions, they did not hesitate to accept Sindel among their group. They would need all the help they could get in this war.

"So, what's our next move?"

Always straight to business, Sonya gave Raiden a stern look as she waited for the god to answer her question.

"Now we must hurry to Deacon City. We must evacuate as many people from the city as we possibly can. That is our main priority as of this moment."


	50. Chapter Forty-Nine: Crisis in the City

**Chapter Forty-Nine: Crisis in the City**

Stopping in front of a hot dog stand, Officer Kurtis Stryker ordered a hot dog with mustard and sauerkraut. The plump man who owned the stand happily took the policeman's order and got to work preparing the hot dog. As the man worked, Stryker looked around the sidewalk at the people who passed by. He was enjoying his day off and had decided to go for a walk through Deacon City. After some time in the park, the officer soon got hungry and just happened to see the hot dog stand nearby.

A few minutes ticked by and the cook handed Kurtis his hot dog. The policeman paid the man and continued his walk. Just as he was about to take a bite of his food, a strong wind blew past him and almost made him drop his hot dog. In fact, Stryker felt as though the wind was about to pick him up from the ground. And apparently, he was not the only one.

A blonde woman wearing a red dress just a few feet away had stumbled to the ground, unable to fight against the abrupt wind. Kurtis immediately ran to the woman's side and helped her to her feet.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Y..Yes. Thank you, I….Oh my god."

"What's wrong?"

The blonde did not answer. Instead, her eyes spoke for her and Stryker looked over his shoulder to see what the woman was staring at. His eyes instantly widened, and his mouth dropped open in a silent gasp. The mother of all storms had consumed the sky and spots of green light flashed through the dark clouds. How no one was able to notice the storm until now was a mystery.

Another strong wind blew through the city and the blonde woman clung onto Kurtis' jacket before she could be swept away. The officer was also struggling to keep himself from flying into the air, as well as the people around him. Some citizens were hanging onto streetlamps and benches, but the unfortunate ones who could not find something to cling to were rolling down the street. A few had even been thrown into buildings because of the powerful winds.

Just when Stryker was sure he was going to be taken by the storm as well, the wind suddenly stopped blowing. It appeared as though time had stopped as the officer looked up from the ground. While the wind had ceased for the moment, he was sure that they would rage again sometime soon. Like the calm before the storm.

"Get inside. Now."

Kurtis ushered the blonde into the nearest coffee shop. As the policeman was about to step inside after her, Stryker almost fell to the ground when an earthquake occurred. Fortunately, his hand was still on the door handle, so he was able to keep himself upright. The earthquake stopped as soon as it came, but the officer's relief was cut short when a cacophony of screams broke out close by. Kurtis turned around to see the source of the screams, as well as the cause of them, and once he was sure that another earthquake was not going to occur, the policeman ran towards the incoming mob that was headed his way.

Stryker managed to grab one of the people who was running, a young Asian man wearing a red cap, and asked him what he was running from. The man's breathing quickened as he explained.

"This…I..I don't know what it is, but…it was some k..kinda of…monster."

"Monster?"

"It was c..coming from a huge c..crack in the ground. It looked like it was s..stuck and…"

Before the young man could say anything else, a roar resonated throughout the area. Kurtis quickly let go of the citizen and pulled out his handgun. He may be off duty, but he never went anywhere without his firearm. With his police instincts taking over, Stryker ushered as many people as he could to safety while keeping a look out for whatever made that roar. He also pulled out his phone to call his partner to issue some backup. After the first few rings, Kurtis had begun to grow impatient as he wondered what was taking his partner so long to pick up his phone.

"Come on, pick up dammit!"

Two more rings and his partner finally answered.

"Stryker? What's going o…?"

"Listen, I need you to get down here right now. And bring some backup."

"Wait, what? You in trouble?"

"No, but I think I'm about to be. Along with everyone around me."

Another roar, closer this time, was heard not only by Stryker, but his comrade could hear it from his phone.

"What was that!?"

"I don't know. But I think you get why I need backup now, right?"

"Yeaaaaaaah. I'll be there as soon as I can. Try not to die on me, alright?"

"No promises."

Kurtis hung up his phone just as a taxicab came tumbling down the street. It crashed into a brick building on the other side of the street and it was fortunate that no one had been in the cab's way or they would have been crushed. The policeman looked back the way the taxi had come from and his mouth dropped open at the sight of a giant, clawed hand gripping the top of a skyscraper. The owner of the hand used the building to pull itself up from the earth it had been trapped within and slowly made its body visible. It jerked one of its feet free from the ground and as it took a step on the street, the force shook the ground almost as much as the earthquake. Maybe the monster had caused the earthquake when it was struggling to free itself.

Its snout was dripping with saliva and filled with razor sharp teeth that could easily tear a human apart without any difficulties. Scars adorned the beast's brown skin and iron shackles clung to its wrists with broken chains hanging from them. Whatever this thing was, it had been locked up for some time before its arrival in Deacon City. And being angry and hungry all at once was not a good combination, especially for something that could be confused for Godzilla. Or at the very least a relative of the iconic monster.

Looking at his gun, Stryker already knew that his measly weapon would not stand a chance against the monster. He prayed that backup would arrive soon, but for now he will have to retreat along with the other citizens and try to help whoever he could. As soon as he turned around, Kurtis saw another unknown creature, a human-sized one, attacking a red-haired man with a white button-down shirt. A Tarkatan. It had the redhead pinned against a streetlight by the collar of his shirt and had a blade that stuck out from its arm aimed at the man's throat. Stryker pointed his gun at the creature and shouted it to get its attention.

"Hey! You ugly bastard! Either you let that man go or you're going to be eating lead!"

The Tarkatan jerked its head around and growled at Kurtis as he dropped his former target to the ground. The red-haired man scrambled to his feet and took off down the road, which was an awkward sight seeing that he had wet his pants during his encounter with the Tarkatan. If this was not a time of crisis, Stryker would have laughed at the civilian, but in this case, the officer could not judge the redhead. After all, he probably would have done the same thing if he were in that situation and did not have the proper training he had from the police academy. The Tarkatan summoned his other blade and crossed his arms to make an x over his chest.

"You dare speak to me that way, human!? You shall pay with your life!"

The creature charged at Kurtis and the policeman wasted no time pulling the trigger of his gun. Three bullets flew from his weapon and headed straight towards their incoming target, but they did not have the chance to hit their mark before the Tarkatan deflected the projectiles with its blades. It then thrusted its right arm blade towards Stryker's head, which the officer narrowly dodged before it could stab itself into his skull. Unfortunately, the Tarkatan managed to knock Kurtis' weapon out of his hand and now the policeman was forced to fight his opponent hand-to-hand combat. He just had to pray that the creature's blades would not slice him in half.

The Tarkatan swung his arm blade again and Stryker ducked under the weapon. He then countered with an uppercut that made his adversary stumble back a few feet. Kurtis used the moment to sweep the Tarkatan off his feet and quickly grabbed his gun from the ground.

"Alright, asshole, don't..."

As soon as Stryker turned around to face the Tarkatan again, he was surprised to see that his opponent was nowhere in sight. He turned a full circle in search of the creature with his gun held out, ready to pull the trigger if he deemed it necessary. The area he stood in was now cleared of civilians, so it should not be hard to find the Tarkatan in the empty space. Yet, Kurtis had not anticipated that his opponent would come from above. And he was not alone.

"You've got to be kidding me."

Jumping out of the way, Stryker avoided the two Tarkatan just as they slammed into the ground where the officer had been just moments before. He rolled a good distance away and quickly got back to his feet with his gun pointed at the ugly duo.

"Brought a friend, huh? That's unfair, don't you think?"

The Tarkatans' only responses were growls as they started charging towards Kurtis. They did not get far, however, before another gunshot was heard. But it did not come from Stryker's gun. Instead, a bullet flew through one of the Tarkatans' head from behind and that caused the other Tarkatan to turn around in search of the one responsible for the shot. That was a mistake.

Kurtis wasted no time shooting the creature in its own head while it was distracted by his friend's murderer. And just like his friend, the Tarkatan dropped to the ground, dead from its head wound. Knowing that his opponents were deceased, Stryker lowered his gun and looked at his savior with a friendly smile.

"Took you long enough."

A chuckle was heard from the other man as he walked up to his partner.

"Sorry. Thought you had the situation handled."

"Did it look like I had it handled?"

"Eh."

Kurtis' partner shrugged.

"Anyway, backup's on its way. I was the closest to your position when you called me, so I went ahead to meet you. It was a good thing that I did."

Kurtis looked back at the Tarkatan corpses. His partner was right. Who knows what would have become of him if his friend had not come to his rescue. And speaking of rescuing...

"We need to get everyone out of the city. With these monsters running around, no one is safe."

"Right. But it might be better if we could get an idea of where they're coming from. Up there."

Stryker looked to where his friend was pointing at and saw a huge, gray building.

"We can get a good view of the city if we get to higher ground. That'll be the perfect spot to wait out until backup gets here. There isn't much the two of us can do right now."

Kurtis could not help but agree. They were only two humans going against monsters big and small. There really was not much they could they now.

"Alright. Lead the way, Kabal."

**It's been a while since I updated this story, huh? Sorry about that, guys. A lot has been going on with this whole corona virus thing and stuff with college. Apparently, my sister and I had tested positive for covid, but the doctor who had our results said that may be due to us having allergies. And he thought it was weird for us to get the results the next day when it usually takes days before anything comes back. We're fine honestly. No symptoms or anything like that, but for anyone reading this, please be careful. This corona virus is no joke and I pray that none of you guys get it. **

**Also, I probably am going to take down my Professor Layton story for now. As I said, I do want to finish it, but I rather focus on one story at a time since I have a lot of work to do for college. Please don't be mad at me! And honestly, I think I can write the story better and make the chapters longer. It was my first story, so I did not expect it to be perfect. And I definitely did not expect for anyone to actually like it. But it makes me so happy that someone is interested in my stories. Thank you guys so much for reading them!**


	51. Chapter Fifty: Free Falling

**Chapter Fifty: Free Falling**

Not a word was spoken on the plane as it made its way to Deacon City. Every soldier sitting within it was too preoccupied with their own thoughts about the battle they were about to engage in. So many thoughts about whether they would survive this war and whether they will be able to see their family and friends again. Tomas did not blame them. After all, he was thinking the exact same things.

Smoke could have gotten on a separate plane if he wanted to, but he insisted that he ride with the other soldiers. He did not feel right just leaving them to fend for themselves when they were only humans. He himself was not invincible, but Tomas was better suited for this fight than any of the soldiers he was currently riding with. Accompanying him was Sub-zero and Cyrax, of course, since they were the silver-haired man's closest friends, and they were not going to leave him behind. Sonya, Jax, and Johnny Cage were on another plane with their own group of Special Forces members and Raiden and Sindel had teleported ahead with Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Nightwolf, Kitana, and Jade in tow. Thinking about it, Tomas wondered why the thunder god did not just teleport everyone to the city.

"_The same reason why you can only teleport one person at once."_

Smoke froze upon hearing the unexpected voice. He had gotten used to Enenra's distorted and booming voice, but since he transformed after their last encounter with each other, the demon remained in its human form. At first, it was a comfort for Tomas to see Enenra as something other than a hulking beast that could devour him at any time. Now it just seemed strange. The demon continued speaking as though he did not notice that he had startled his host.

"_Raiden may be a god, but that does not make him all powerful. It is only because he is a god that he can teleport so many people at a time. But that still takes a good amount of energy to accomplish."_

"_Is that so?"_

"_Indeed. Do not rely on gods for everything. What is that Earthrealm saying? "" God helps those who help themselves"?"_

Smoke did not intend to sound so reliant on Raiden's power, but now that he thought about it, he was relying too much on Earthrealm's protector. Raiden was basically the leader of the Forces of Light and whenever he left for a long period of time, everyone felt lost. Like they did not know how to proceed through their lives without his guidance. And not only were Earthrealm's defenders so dependent on Raiden, the thunder god was also very dependent on the Elder Gods. No matter how big or small a decision was for him, Raiden would feel the need to consult with the Elder Gods before he made those decisions, when he himself has already said that the Elder Gods cannot interfere too much with the affairs of mortals.

In a way, Tomas felt...pathetic. He had fought on his own many times throughout his life and was not one to ask for help often. But now, he expected for Raiden to have the answers to everything. As Enenra said, Raiden may be a god, but he has his limits as well. And that meant that he could not do everything on his own.

"_Would you stop sounding so pitiful? You are making me want to vomit."_

Again, Smoke had to keep in mind that Enenra was with him.

"_Please do. But also keep in mind that you do have power. MY power. And I am willing to give it to you, but you keep refusing it."_

Ignoring the demon, Tomas looked down at his hand and balled it into a fist. It did not matter whether he wanted Enenra's power. He could feel it rising with each passing day and one of these days, it was going to come out. Smoke just had to make sure when the power did consume him, he could control it and Enenra. And if he could not...

"We will be fine, Tomas."

Being so lost within his thoughts, Smoke had forgotten that he was sitting in a plane surrounded by people. Sub-zero, who had spoken to him, sat on the silver-haired man's left while Cyrax sat on his right. They both had notice the deep frown on Tomas' face and looked at their comrade, concerned.

"I do hope that you are right, Kuai."

"What do you mean by that?"

Smoke then turned to Cyrax, who was surprised about his friend's sad tone.

"Usually you are the optimistic one in these times of crisis. Now I feel depressed just looking at you. For the love of the Elder Gods, smile you bastard!"

Eyes wide, both Smoke and Sub-zero stared at Cyrax in silence for his outburst. Even some of the soldiers had started looking their way when they heard they heard the cyborg shout. When he realized that no one was about to speak anytime soon, Cyrax cleared his throat and turned away.

"S..Sorry. That was uncalled for."

A chuckle caused Cyrax to look back and he saw Tomas smiling for what seemed like the first time in forever.

"Do not apologize. You are right. Why should one little war get us down?"

"Because it is a war?"

Smoke's smile dropped and he gave Sub-zero a deadpan expression. Why did Kuai have to be so sarcastic? The cryomancer just shrugged at his friend.

"What? You are the optimistic one. I am... not the optimistic one."

"Really? I could not tel..."

The plane suddenly jolted and would have thrown its passengers out of their seats if not for their seatbelts. As he was regaining his composure, Tomas could feel intense heat coming from the plane. From the outside. Inside the cockpit, the pilot was trying to regain control of his aircraft, but there was not much he could do. Someone, or something, had destroyed the left wing of the plane. And now the plane was quickly descending to the city below. What perfect timing.

"Holy shit!"

One of the soldiers shouted at the terrible sight on the other side of the window.

"The whole wing is gone! We're fucking screwed!"

Hearing what the soldier had said, Smoke started to panic. He could easily teleport himself and one or two other people out of there, but he could not just abandon everyone else.

"_Why not?"_

Right now, Tomas really, REALLY wanted Enenra to leave him alone. He did not need this now.

"_Just shut up! There has to be a way."_

"_Yes. Take Sub-zero and Cyrax and escape. The others are nothing of value."_

"_I will not do that!"_

"_Then sit here and die along with everyone else. Although I would prefer not dying, seeing that look of terror on your face as you die would be worth it."_

This was just entertainment to Enenra. But what did Smoke expect from the demon?

"_There has...to be a way..."_

Tomas gripped his seatbelt tighter as he thought about what to do. He had to think quickly though. What could he do? An idea suddenly appeared in Smoke's head, but he was not sure if it would work. At the very least, it could slow the plane's descent and minimize the damage of the crash.

Closing his eyes, the silver-haired man brought his hands together and concentrated his power on the bottom of the plane. As he did, Tomas thought about the time he created a smoke bomb inside that RPG Launcher in the Living Forest. This time he would not be creating an explosion, however. A giant mass of smoke started to form under the plane and once it was completed, Smoke clasped his hands together to hold the mass in place. The force of his creation made the aircraft jolt again, but it quickly steadied itself and started to slow its descent.

Now that the plane was not spiraling out of control, Kuai let out a breath and looked over at his comrades to check their conditions. He saw how Smoke had his eyes closed and sweat was dripping from his face. A vein was even visible on Tomas' head and his hands were shaking from being gripped so tightly. Sub-zero was about to reach out to his friend, but something in the back of his mind was telling him not to. So, he did not.

The pilot was just as surprised as everyone else about the plane suddenly righting itself. The wing was definitely gone, yet the military aircraft was descending as though it was still in perfect shape. What a miracle. Smoke concentrated harder to make the giant smoke cloud lower the plane onto the ground and as soon as it did, the silver-haired man let go of his hands and the smoke dispersed. He sighed and slumped forward in his seat, which alarmed Kuai and Cyrax. They both leaned forward to look at their comrade's face and saw that his eyes were still closed, but he seemed relaxed as though he was asleep.

"Tomas? Tomas, can you hear me?"

"Come on, my friend. Wake up."

A small group of soldiers had gathered around the trio to see what was wrong. At that same moment, the pilot had come in to check if anyone had been injured. That is when he noticed Tomas' slumped form.

"What's wrong with your friend?"

Before Sub-zero or Cyrax could answer, they heard a groan coming from their friend. They sat back when they realized that Smoke was trying to sit up. He leaned back in his seat and his head hit the cool metal behind him. The coldness of it was soothing to Tomas as a headache was beginning to form and he kept his eyes closed to shut out some of the pain.

"Tomas?"

Kuai waited for his friend to respond. After letting out a deep breath, Tomas nodded his head and slowly opened his eyes.

"I will be fine. Just a bit exhausted."

"What happened? When I saw you, you..."

"That does not matter."

Smoke unbuckled his seatbelt and stood up while soldiers backed away to give him some room. He had not noticed the small crowd until that moment and seeing how many people had their eyes on him made Tomas very uncomfortable. He quickly made it to the back of the plane where the pilot had already opened cargo door and walked outside. The area they landed in was deserted and damaged vehicles and debris surrounded them. What really disturbed Smoke was teddy bear that laid a few feet away from him and its right arm was missing. He picked up the stuffed animal and saw that there was blood splattered on it. He prayed that it did not belong to the child who was the owner of the bear.

Sub-zero and Cyrax soon caught up to Smoke and looked over his shoulders to see the teddy bear he had in his hand. The silver-haired man still seemed a bit daze from his black out, the cryomancer and cyborg could see Tomas' sadness within his eyes as he stared at the bloody toy. They wanted to say something to Smoke, but they were not sure what they should say. Luckily, Tomas laid the bear back down on the ground and spoke up.

"We need to end this. Now."

The seriousness in Smoke's tone made his two comrades even more worried about him. Yet, they stayed silent and instead just nodded in agreement with Tomas' statement. The soldiers finally came to the trio with their weapons ready and were waiting for orders. While Smoke, Sub-zero, and Cyrax were not the leaders of this group, the soldiers decided it would be better to follow their commands. After all, the trio had more experience and knowledge about the creatures they were about to fight. And they had powers. Mostly because they have powers.


	52. Chapter Fifty-One: Hidden Beast

**Chapter Fifty-One: Hidden Beast**

Following Sonya's orders, Smoke, Sub-zero, and Cyrax lead their Special Forces group to the specified coordinates that the blonde had given them. While Sonya and Jax's team covered the southwest section of the city and Raiden's team covered the north, the former Lin Kuei and their team would cover the southeast section. That way all groups could try and find citizens in different parts of Deacon City faster and get them to safety. At the front of the group, Tomas stayed a good distance ahead of everyone and kept his hands stuffed inside his hoodie pockets. Now that he thought about it, the silver-haired man felt ridiculous in his current attire compared to the soldiers.

Behind Smoke, Sub-zero and Cyrax were speaking amongst themselves, careful not to have anyone listening in on what they were saying.

"The plane landing like that was no accident, was it?"

"I do not believe so, Kuai. Whatever Tomas did, he saved our lives. But it did cause him a great amount of stress. We should watch him in case he collapses."

"I agree with you. But he should not have to hide his pain."

"Kuai, you know how Tomas is. If he tells us that he is hurting, we will worry. And our worry will cause us to make a mistake, one that may cost us our lives. It is best that we just focus on our mission for now."

Sighing, Sub-zero nodded and they continued in silence. A few minutes passed before Cyrax decided to speak again.

"I am going to talk to Tomas. Would you mind staying back here?"

"You wish to speak with Tomas alone?"

"Do not worry. I am not trying to keep anything from you. I just...want to see where Tomas' head is at. What he is thinking. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"...Yes. Go on ahead. I will stay behind."

Cyrax nodded and he quickened his pace until he was right beside Smoke. He took a good look at his friend and would have frowned if he had his human face. Feeling the cyborg's eyes on him, Tomas arched an eyebrow and turned to Cyrax.

"What?"

"...I do not know. You tell me."

Now Smoke looked really confused.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Something is bothering you. But nowadays, it seems that something is always bothering you. And I think I have an idea what that something is."

Tomas shook his head. There was no possible way that Cyrax could know what was wrong with him. He barely knew himself really.

"Tell me something, Tomas."

"What?"

"You said that you do not remember much about the day you were found by the Lin Kuei, correct?"

"...Yes. It is all a blur. Why do you ask?"

"Because...I think I may know what happened that day."

A small compartment opened on Cyrax's leg and he pulled out the red flash drive Smoke had taken from Outworld.

"I managed to decode those encrypted files we found on the drive. When I opened them, the information they held was not what I was expecting."

"What did you see?"

"...I saw you."

Now that really was the last thing Tomas had expected Cyrax to say.

"Me? What do you mean "me"?"

"All the data the Lin Kuei has collected on you was in that drive. Of course, there was not much, but there was a video file labeled "Project Smoke." And the date it was recorded was the same day you were recruited by the Lin Kuei."

"" Project Smoke?" What exactly did this video contain?"

Cyrax thought back and started to tell his comrade what he had seen in that video.

**Flashback – 20 years ago**

Sitting alone in a cell, a boy with silver hair and eyes had a blue blanket wrapped around his naked frame and his knees pulled to his chest. Tear stains could be seen on his dirty face and scratches and bruises covered his body. But he did not care. He could not feel any pain, so why should he care?

The door to the boy's cell opened and he immediately growled at the newcomer. A man wearing a gray outfit with a mask and cowl tried to approach him with his hands raised to show that he meant no harm. He was speaking in a language the boy did not understand and for some reason, that angered the child more. After taking one more step towards the boy, the masked man suddenly grabbed his throat. He did not know why, but he felt as though someone was choking him and he could not get any air into his lungs. He clawed at his throat in a futile attempt to take away the invisible hands that were suffocating him.

Two more masked men entered the cell and tried to help their comrade. But there was nothing could do as the man's flesh began to melt away. His mouth was wide open in a silent scream and his skeleton dropped to the floor. Nothing but a mass of bones and flesh was left to remember the man by.

The other two men instantly grabbed the child who was responsible for their comrade's death and tried to kill him themselves. This child...this monster deserved to die. It was too dangerous to let out into the world. The boy growled and scratched at his attackers, but after some time, he managed to throw the men off him. The force of the throw caused the masked men to crash into the wall, creating a few cracks in it as they hit it.

As they fell to the floor, the boy raised his hand and his eyes glowed red. The entire room began shaking as though an earthquake was occurring, but this was no earthquake. Two black tendrils sprouted from the ground and they went straight for the two men. One tentacle stabbed one of the men right through his heart and the other tentacle constricted itself around its target's body. The man screamed as the tendril started to crush his body, but luckily for him, more men came through the cell doors to his rescue.

One of the newcomers had a gun in his hand, but it did not have actual bullets. It was a tranquilizer gun, which was only used for animals. The boy may not be an animal, but he was not a human either. The man holding the gun aimed at the child and immediately pulled the trigger. A tranquilizer dart flew and planted itself straight into the boy's neck. He tried to reach for the projectile, but the effects of the drug were already affecting him.

His vision became blurry and his arms and legs were beginning to give out on him. The child desperately tried to get up and get away, but the masked men grabbed him and held him against the wall. Once they were sure their captive was restrained, another man slowly stepped into the room. He did not wear a mask like everyone else and he had this air around him that told the boy that he was a man that you did not want to mess with. However, the child was not about to let this man scare him. He attempted to snarl at the man, but due to his weakened state, his snarling came out as nothing but pitiful growling. The boy's antics only amused the unmasked man and he knelt so he was at eye level with the boy.

"Such power within someone so young. Fascinating."

"Grandmaster, please stay back. This boy is dangerous!"

"Indeed."

The Grandmaster did not heed his underling's warning and instead reached out and wrapped his hand around the child's throat. He squeezed his hand and the boy grunted as his air supply was being cut off.

"It does not seem that the tranquilizer was enough. Close your eyes, boy. You are only making this harder on yourself."

Black dots covered the boy's vision and after a few seconds, his sight went dark. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body went limp as he fell unconscious. The Grandmaster released the prisoner from his hold and his men let the boy drop to the floor. One of them already had his sword drawn out and he pointed the end of it at the child's head.

"Sir, allow me to finish this boy. This...monster should not be allowed to live."

"...No."

"No? But sir, he has already killed two of our best men and another is critically injured...!"

"You dare question me?"

The glare the guard received from the Grandmaster stunned him into silence. If only looks could kill. The man slowly put his sword away and stepped back from the boy before he did anything he would regret. Satisfied with his subordinate's obedience, the Grandmaster ordered his other men to take the child to one of the spare rooms and let him rest. When the boy awoke, he and the Grandmaster would have much to discuss.

**End of Flashback**

"That is it. I have not shared this information with anyone, not even Kuai. I wanted to discuss this with you before...Tomas?"

Once Cyrax had ended his story, Tomas had stopped listening to his comrade. Only one thought was playing through his mind right now. Cyrax knew. He saw the monster that lived within Smoke. Saw what he could do if he let Enenra take control.

Yet Cyrax was still here with him. The cyborg could have told everyone about the video and they probably would have imprisoned, or even killed Tomas after seeing what he can do. But Cyrax had not told anyone besides him. He had kept this information secret this whole time.

"Tomas?"

Raking a hand through his hair, Smoke suddenly felt like the world around him was closing in, making it hard for him to breath. He felt like he was being cornered. Trapped. Cyrax and Kuai, who had been watching his two friends from a distance, both knew something was wrong as soon as Tomas pulled back his hair. It was something Smoke would do when he was nervous or afraid and Sub-zero and Cyrax had picked up on a long time ago. Kuai was about to step in to help Tomas, but Cyrax held his hand out to stop him. There was no need to, however, because Smoke would not give them the chance to help.

"I...I will go ahead and scan the area for any attackers."

Cyrax turned back to Tomas and tilted his head slightly to the side to show that he was confused.

"Tomas, what...?"

"I will...meet back with you shortly."

And before anyone could stop him, Tomas vanished in a cloud of smoke. Kuai and the soldiers stopped instantly, and they stared at Cyrax as though they were trying to ask him what happened. The cyborg looked back, but he was not sure what to say. Sub-zero jogged up to him and spoke in a low voice so the soldiers would not hear him.

"Cyrax, what happened just now? Where did Tomas go?"

"He just...he said he was going to ahead to look for any attackers."

"What? He knows he should not go off alone. What did you say to him, Cyrax?"

"I.."

"Cyrax. What did you say?"

Unable to say anything to Kuai, Cyrax just shook his head and turned towards the soldiers.

"Smoke has gone to scout the area ahead. We should wait here until he returns. It will not be long."

A few of the soldiers shared confused looks with each other, but they did not question the cyborg. Besides, who were they to say no to a break? As the soldiers took the time to conversate amongst themselves, Cyrax looked back at Sub-zero, who had his arms crossed over his chest. In that moment, all the cyborg could think about was how much Kuai looked like Bi-han. He had already lost one friend, and now, Cyrax was afraid that he may have very well lost another. He just prayed that Tomas would make it back in one piece.


	53. Chapter Fifty-Two: Coming to Terms

**Chapter Fifty-Two: Coming to Terms**

Tomas was not sure of his location, but he soon found himself alone in a dark alley. Not a single soul was around him and he was grateful for that. He needed to calm down before he harmed anyone by accident. Like Pyros has said before, negative emotions can empower Enenra and one little slip up could give the demon the opportunity to take control. Even with their current arrangement, Smoke could not trust that Enenra would not take that opening if it ever appeared.

"_Trust. What an empty word."_

Speak of the devil and he will appear. Enenra's voice was the last thing Tomas wanted to hear right now. Maybe it was the demon's nature to come in at the most inconvenient times. The silver-haired man grabbed his head with his hands and stepped back until his back hit the wall of the building behind him.

"_I wonder what Cyrax will do with the information he gained from that video. Will he still remain your friend or turn against you? Will he keep your secret, or will he tell everyone how much of a danger you truly are?"_

Smoke said nothing as Enenra talked, but he was listening. How could he ignore the demon when he was literally speaking inside his head? And what he was saying was beginning to stress out Tomas even more. What if Cyrax did turn against him? What if everyone turned against him after seeing the monster he could become? Just thinking about that made Smoke want to puke.

"_Do you not trust Cyrax? I thought he was like a brother to you. A person who should be trustworthy enough for you to tell him such things as that."_

What Enenra just said sounded very similar to what Kuai had said before Tomas left to Outworld with Soliel.

"_You have been keeping a lot of secrets and as someone you have considered as a brother, I thought I would be trustworthy enough for you to tell me such things!"_

Smoke and Sub-zero have argued before, but in that moment, the silver-haired man had never seen his friend so angry before. Angry with him. And the cryomancer had every right to be. Tomas thought he was protecting Kuai by keeping Enenra and Pyros a secret. But what if he was doing the opposite by keeping those secrets? What if he was putting not only Sub-zero in danger, but everyone else he cared about because they did not know about the demon?

No. Tomas shook his head to clear those negative thoughts from it. This was not a good time for him to have a mental breakdown. Taking a few deep breaths, Smoke closed his eyes and for some reason, he thought back to that day when he was first brought to the Lin Kuei temple. With every detail Cyrax told him about the video, his memory of that day had slowly started to come back to him. He remembered how scared and cold he was alone in that cell for what seemed like hours. He remembered how angry he was at his captors bringing him to the temple against his will.

But most importantly, Tomas remembered how he felt...in control of his power. Of Enenra's power. He guessed that was because he was a child then and the demon knew that he would not protest much against the use of his abilities. After all, the boy was confused and would have done anything to get away from his kidnappers. Enenra had allowed him to do as he pleased because at the time, Smoke did not care who he hurt or killed.

Now, since Tomas has grown a conscience, he has been very reluctant to use the demon out of fear of hurting someone he cares about. But maybe if he could regain that feeling of control, if he could get Enenra to use his power for good...

"_I am not a force of good, Tomas. None of us demons are."_

"...No."

Tomas lowered his hands from his head and looked up at the sky. He did not know why, but Smoke could imagine Enenra looking at him with an arched brow. The demon laughed in the back of the silver-haired man's head.

"_And what is that supposed to mean, boy?"_

Sighing, Smoke sat on the ground and propped one of his legs up so he could lay his arm on his knee. The other leg remained stretched out and the tip of Tomas' foot started tapping a gray trashcan that sat beside him.

"You may be a demon, but...that does not make you evil."

"_Ha, ha, ha. That is very humorous, Tomas."_

"I was not joking."

"_Then you really are more of a fool then I thought."_

"I do not think I am the fool here."

"_Is that so?"_

Smoke looked down at the ground and saw a small rock between his legs. He grabbed it and began tossing it into the air over and over again.

"We do not have to be the monsters everyone has made us out to be."

""_Us"?"_

"I have killed people without having to use my... your powers. So many that I have lost count. I have just as much blood on my hands as you do."

"_Correct. But?"_

"But we can choose to redeem ourselves. We can save lives now instead of taking them."

"_Redemption? Tomas, I am already damned, and I am sure that you are too."_

"I know."

Tomas stopped tossing the rock and instead threw it at the wall of the building opposite of him.

"But if Earthrealm wins this war, I can gladly leave this world knowing I did something good. No matter where I may end up."

And Smoke was really telling the truth. He knew he was probably going to fall to the Netherrealm for all the horrible things he has done for the Lin Kuei, but at least he could die without an overwhelming guilty conscience.

"_I am sorry, Tomas."_

Now it was Tomas' turn to raise an eyebrow. Did Enenra just say he was sorry?

"_But you and I have different morals and goals. Mine do not involve me risking my life for the sake of Earthrealm."_

Smoke was a bit disappointed by Enenra's response, but he should have expected as much from the demon. Oh well. He would just have to let Enenra be. For now.

"Very well. I have said my piece."

Tomas then stood up and proceeded to walk out of the alleyway. But Enenra stopped him.

"_Wait."_

"What is it?"

Smoke could hear the demon scoffing at him.

"_Are you trying to get us killed?"_

"What...?"

Tomas could say no more before a black mist started revolving around his feet. It quickly covered his whole body and soon enough, all the silver-haired man could see was darkness.

* * *

In another part of Deacon City, Nightwolf lead the way through the metropolis with Jade and Kitana close behind him. The Edenians had been reluctant to leave Sindel, but they knew that the queen would be protected as long as Raiden was around. So they decided to leave Sindel with the thunder god and they went with Nightwolf to help rescue civilians. And thankfully, she had provided Jade and Kitana with proper attire for battle before they parted. Their outfits were a bit more revealing than the ones they had worn during the Mortal Kombat tournament, but they still had the same color scheme for the two women, Jade's being green and gold and Kitana's being blue.

The trio had encountered a few Tarkatans here and there and they had to carefully sneak past one of the giant monsters so they would not be eaten. Besides that, they have not had much trouble, which was a bit worrying. Surely Shao Kahn's army had more to provide than Tarkatans and giants for them to fight. So where were they? Were they waiting to ambush Nightwolf, Jade, and Kitana when the opportunity presented itself?

"Kiva."

Nightwolf called forth the wolf spirit and Kiva instantly appeared before him. The shaman kneeled and laid his hand on Kiva's head.

"Go ahead of us and scan the area for any attackers. And be careful."

Kiva nodded and sprinted ahead while Nightwolf watched him run off. Jade and Kitana were still getting used the Native American calling his spirits and not being able to see them themselves. It as though Nightwolf was talking to air.

"May I ask you two a question?"

Jade and Kitana looked at Nightwolf as he stood up from the ground, confused as to what question the shaman wanted to ask. The women nodded and Kitana spoke up.

"Of course. What is it you would like to ask us?"

"...It is about Smoke. I wanted to ask if you two could give me more information about him."

"Really? Why?"

"I am curious as to why he can see spirits. He is not a shaman and no one of divinity. Maybe if I knew more about Smoke's background, I could figure out why he is able to communicate with spirits."

While the Edenians were also curious about that, they did not see the incident as important. Yet they could see that Nightwolf was not only interested in Tomas' newfound ability, but he seemed a bit concerned about it as well. Why?

"But that is not the only reason for my request."

Jade arched a brow and placed her hands on her hips.

"Oh?"

"Yes. You see, I sensed an unusual energy radiating from Smoke. He is not human."

"We actually suspected as much to be honest."

Which was true and it was not only because Tomas has powers. His eyes, his hairs, his form altogether, it just seemed...inhuman. It was strange yet intriguing at the same time.

"Is that so? Then it would seem we are on the same page."

"It would seem that way."

"Then can you please give me the information I requested?"

"I can, but there is not much to tell. As you may already know, Tomas used to be an assassin for the Lin Kuei along with Sub-zero and Cyrax. But he has no memories of his childhood."

"You are saying he has amnesia?"

"Correct. All he knows about his past is his name."

So he knows nothing about the origin of his powers?"

Jade shook her head. Nightwolf crossed his arms and thought about what he had just been told. It was not much information to go on, but he will have to make do with it. Although, Tomas' abilities and movements did look familiar for some reason. The shaman tried to think about it further, but Kiva's feet pounding against the ground as he ran to Nightwolf drove him away from his thoughts.

"Did you find anything, Kiva?"

The wolf nodded and motioned for Nightwolf to follow him back the way he came.

"Follow me. Kiva has found something."

Jade and Kitana nodded and the trio ran behind Kiva as he led them to the subway. From the top of the staircase, they could hear shouting and gunshots echoing within the darkness.

**Wow! I don't know why this chapter was such a struggle to write, but here it is! I hope you guys are enjoying the story by the way and I'll try my best to get the chapters out as soon as possible. And also, I made changes to chapter forty-eight, because I just realized that I was spelling Kiva's name as "Akiva." I have no idea why I did this and how I didn't notice it, but for all the people who did notice it, I'm stupid and I'm sorry lol. If I make that mistake again or anything else seems wrong about the chapters, don't hesitate to point it out for me. I want you guys to point it out. Just try not to be so harsh about it please. **


	54. Chapter Fifty-Three

**Chapter Fifty-Three: The Four-Armed Prince**

"He's taking way too long."

One of the soldiers in Sub-zero and Cyrax's team was pacing back and forth and muttering to himself, much to the dislike of his comrades. Another soldier, an African American man named James, sighed and walked over to his anxious friend.

"Look Pierce, you gotta chill."

"Chill!? How can I chill when we're sitting out in the open like this?"

"Hey, if something tries to attack us, we'll be ready. Especially with them two."

James glanced at Sub-zero and Cyrax, who were a short distance away conversating amongst themselves. Pierce rolled his eyes.

"Right. Fucking Elsa and C-3PO. We're "saved"."

"Man, seriously, what's your problem with them? They've been doing nothing but help us out..."

"We don't need those freaks!"

Everyone, including Kuai and Cyrax, had stop what they were doing and now had their eyes on Pierce. But he did not care. Instead, the soldier glared back at the two former Lin Kuei and crossed his arms.

"You guys think you can just waltz on in here and be praised like gods!? Well fuck you! It's because of you bastards that this war is happening! You should've just stayed in whatever hell you came from and...!"

"Pierce!"

James grabbed Pierce's shoulder and shoved him away from the group. He pointed off into the distance as he scowled at his comrade.

"Walk it off."

"You can't just...!"

"Walk. It. Off."

Pierce opened his mouth to say something else, but the look he got from James made him shut up and leave while casting one last glance to Sub-zero and Cyrax. As he walked off, two other soldiers went after him to make sure Pierce did not go too far. James sighed and turned back to Sub-zero and Cyrax.

"Sorry 'bout that. Pierce can be a bit of an asshole sometimes."

Cyrax nodded, knowing that some of the soldiers may be on edge because of this war and may say things out of anger like Pierce did. Kuai did not say or do anything. He did not care much about Pierce's outburst since his mind was mostly on Tomas. It has been over half an hour since he left and there was still no sign of him. The cryomancer hoped that Smoke would come back soon.

"Everything alright?"

Sub-zero looked at James with an arched brow. The soldier really did sound concerned.

"You're friend has been gone for a while. Maybe we should look for h..."

"He will be fine."

Cyrax quickly interjected James' sentence. Both the soldier and Kuai were now facing the cyborg in confusion.

"Smoke should be back shortly."

"But we can't just sit here..."

"I said he will be back shortly."

"Cyrax."

Sub-zero grabbed Cyrax's arm and pulled him away from James so he could talk to him privately. They stopped a few feet away and Kuai let Cyrax go.

"Alright, tell me what the hell is going on. You have been on edge ever since Tomas left. And still you will not tell me what it was that you two had discussed."

"It's...complicated."

"Then simplify it for me. Or...are you keeping secrets from me too?"

"Kuai, that's not...! Ugh!"

Cyrax threw his hands into the air in exasperation. After a minute of silence, the robot sighed and crossed his arms.

"Do you...do you remember all those times when Tomas would just...snap?"

"...Yes. They were only a few times when he did. It is hard to make Tomas angry."

"Right. But whenever he did get...angry... did something ever feel off about him? Like he was not himself?"

"Of course he was not himself..."

"No, no. Kuai, that is not what I mean. What if...what if Tomas really was not himself?"

"I do not understand, Cyrax."

"Trust me when I say I do not either. Maybe it is the result of a split personality or maybe it is another entity altogether..."

"Wait."

Kuai held his hands to make Cyrax stop talking.

"Are you saying that Tomas is... possessed or...?"

"I honestly do not know, Kuai. Whatever it is...Tomas does not want anyone to know about it. In fact, I think he is afraid of it. Afraid of himself."

"But that is absurd, he...!"

Trailing off midsentence, Sub-zero looks away from Cyrax shaking his head. Smoke would not hurt a fly, unless said fly threatened to kill everyone he cared about. There was no need to fear him and there was especially no need for him to fear himself, no matter how angry he gets. Tomas would never let his anger get so out of control to the point that he would hurt those close to him.

"So...what does this have to do with Tomas running off earlier?"

"That was my fault. I should not have told him I knew about this... "other side of him." I am not sure what exactly to call it."

"What exactly is it? This "other side"? And how did you come to find out about it?"

"I..."

"Stay back!"

Pierce's shout interrupted Cyrax and he and Sub-zero turned back to the soldiers to see them aiming their guns at someone who was approaching them. The figure looked like a human, but his four arms and giant stature set him apart from humanity. Goro. He stopped in front of Pierce and eyed the soldier's rifle.

"Do you mean to intimidate me with your puny weapons?"

Pierce sneered at the Shokan and moved his fingers to pull the trigger of his gun, but before he could, the weapons was snatched out of his hands by Goro. He used his hands to break the rifle into four pieces and dropped them to the ground with a cruel smile on his face.

"What do you plan to do now, human?"

As Goro draws back his fist to punch Pierce, Kuai lunges towards the Shokan and knees him in the face. Goro stumbles away from the cryomancer and Sub-zero pushes Pierce back so he is with the rest of the group.

"I will handle this. Just stay back."

"I don't need your he..."

Pierce stopped protesting when Kuai glared at him. Those piercing blue eyes made him want to run and hide, but the soldier simply shut his mouth and nodded. Satisfied with Pierce's obedience, Sub-zero looked back at Goro, who was wiping blood off his mouth.

"You dare draw blood from me!?"

"Only because you made it too easy."

Goro roared and charged at Kuai in rage. Anticipating the assault, the cryomancer had prepared to dodge Goro and simply leaped out of the way as the Shokan prince slammed his fists into the ground, breaking the earth beneath them. Huge cracks spread within the ground and the soldiers had to step further back so as to not get trapped in one of them. One of them even had his foot get caught within a crack and would have fell deeper into it if his comrades had not helped him up. Cyrax ran to Sub-zero's side to offer him assistance, but he should have known his friend would not accept his help.

"Cyrax, I must fight him alone. It would not be honorable if I were to have you aiding me while he fights alone."

"I know, but at this point, none of Shao Kahn's followers deserve a fair battle. Was it honorable for them to invade Earthrealm against the Elder Gods' will?"

"No, but..."

"Then let us take care of this creature."

Cyrax's hand then transformed into a buzzsaw and he got into his fighting stance. Kuai wanted to argue with the cyborg, but a part of him agreed with what Cyrax had said. Shao Kahn's army was preying upon the innocent people of Deacon City, people who could not defend themselves against them. Where was the honor in that? With that in mind, Sub-zero got into his own fighting stance and he scowled at Goro, who only laughed at his opponents.

"Weaklings. Cannot even stand on your own feet without assistance."

"Says the one who was defeated by both Liu Kang and Kung Lao. Soon our names will be added to that list."

Goro growled at Cyrax and cracked his knuckles with a picture of Cyrax and Kuai's decapitated heads in his hands flashing through his mind.

"No Earthrealmers shall best me in combat again."

The Shokan launched a huge fireball at Sub-zero and Cyrax. As quick as lightning, Cyrax stepped in front of the projectile and cut through the ball with his saw, which caused it to explode from the impact. Smoke covered the area as a result of the explosion and Goro planned to use the smokescreen as a cover for him to attack. He sprinted forward to charge through the smoke, but he was caught off guard by the appearance of Sub-zero who suddenly burst through it instead. A Kori Blade was in the cryomancer's right hand and he slashed the sword across Goro's chest. The blade did not cut too deep into the Shokan's flesh, but it was enough to make him hiss in pain.

Kuai did not stop there, however, and thrusted his sword at Goro's head. But the Shokan was prepared for the strike and grabbed the Kori Blade with his two right hands. As Sub-zero tried to pull his weapon away, Goro smirked and gripped the sword tighter causing cracks to spread along it. Seconds later, the Kori Blade has been reduced to tiny ice shards that fell to the ground at Goro's feet. Sub-zero jumped back and Cyrax took that as his cue to jump in while his friend got another weapon prepared.

The cyborg slashed his buzzsaw at Goro to drive the Shokan away from Kuai, as well as the soldiers, and once they were far away, Cyrax dropped a small, yellow bomb by Goro. The robot quickly flew back before Goro could see the bomb and it instantly detonated. The Shokan was consumed by fire and debris and no one could see anything through it, so Cyrax and Kuai, who had another Kori Blade in his hand, kept their eyes peeled for Goro. What they did not count on, however, was for their opponent to appear above them.

"Get back!"

Cyrax shouted at Sub-zero and the two flipped backwards just before Goro landed on the ground. The force from his fall threw the soldiers away and some of them flew into poles or cars. Kuai had just landed on the ground when Goro lunged at him and connected a punch to his jaw. The Shokan then threw the disoriented cryomancer into the wall of a brick building to his left and Sub-zero crashed straight through it. He fell on the floor of what looked like a lobby for a motel and the back of his head hit the front desk as he slid to a stop.

"Sub-zero!"

Cyrax sprinted towards the motel to help his comrade, but Goro appeared to block his path with another fireball prepared in his hand.

"You should always keep your eyes on your opponent!"

Goro released his fireball and Cyrax had just enough time to summon a shield to protect. Again, an explosion followed the projectile when it made contact with the barrier and smoke engulfed Cyrax and Goro. Cyrax used his enhanced vision to locate Goro through the smoke, but he could not see the Shokan anywhere. A moment later, the cyborg felt something grab his ankle and he fell to the ground. His body had soon been dragged out of the cloud of smoke and was lifted into the air by his leg. Cyrax's face was brought up Goro's, who was the one who had grabbed him, and smirked just before he slammed the robot's body into the earth beneath him.

Goro repeated the action several times until sparks and pieces of metal broke of Cyrax's body. A phrase that said "System Malfunction" in big, red letters kept flashing before the cyborg's eyes and even though Cyrax could barely feel any of the pain Goro was inflicting upon him, he did not really want his body to be destroyed. Fortunately for him, Goro stopped his beating and threw Cyrax into an abandoned red honda. The car was terribly dented on the side by the cyborg.

"It seems that not even your machines can match my might."

Goro slowly walked towards Cyrax, who was unable to move from his spot because of the damage he had taken, and stopped in front of him.

"Do not worry. Your miserable life will soon cease to exist."

Goro raised both of his two upper arms into the air and prepared to crush Cyrax into oblivion. But the Shokan did not get the chance before his two arms were cut from his body in one swift motion. Goro roared as his torn limbs fell to the ground and used his other arms to try and stop the bleeding of his wounds. Cyrax watched through blurring vision as someone appeared in between himself and Goro and it took a moment for him to realize who it was.

"Smoke?"


	55. Chapter Fifty-Four: Questioning Rule

**Chapter Fifty-Four: Questioning Rule**

Tomas stood before Goro without a hint of fear in his silver eyes. The Shokan was on his knees with his two remaining hands covering his wounded shoulder joints. Blood was leaking profusely from the joints due to his severed arms, which laid lifelessly on the ground between him and the one responsible for taking them away. He locked eyes with his attacker and growled at him, but Smoke did not react.

"_Fool."_

Enenra commented and Tomas could picture the demon scowling at Goro.

"_If he had been more aware of his surroundings, he would not have lost his precious arms so easily. Now...you can go in for the kill."_

"_I do not think so."_

Smoke watched as Goro slowly stood up from the ground and glared at the silver-haired man as he rose. Still, Tomas did not step back, even when the Shokan's face was mere inches from his.

"I will have your head for this, ninja. Mark my words."

"_I must admit, I am impressed by the fact he is still able to talk so big in such a weakened state."_

Tomas paid no mind to Enenra's words and kept his focus on Goro.

"You are beaten, Shokan. Leave while you still can. I do not wish to kill you."

"Then you are just as foolish as Liu Kang. He should have finished me on Shang Tsung's island. But he let his morals get in the way of that. So, tell me ninja: Is all this -"

Goro waved his two arms around to draw Smoke's attention to the wreckage that surrounded them.

" - worth it? Worth keeping someone like me alive while others suffer?"

Tomas was not sure how to answer that. Was it worth it? After all, Goro was truly a monster, a being who did not care about the lives he has taken or will take in the future. Should Smoke really let him go?

"You have the perfect opportunity to finish me."

Goro took another step forward and bent down a little so he was at eye-level with Tomas.

"I will make it easy for you."

The Shokan smirked as Smoke stood there, confused. Did Goro...want Smoke to kill him? Why? What was Goro trying to prove? Tomas reached for one of the kunai knives around his belt and Goro's smile grew.

"That is right. Finish what you have started. Do not make the same mistake those monks did."

Smoke raised his kunai to Goro's throat. The Shokan seemed excited about this and Tomas felt a bit disgusted at how happy the Shokan was at the idea that his life would be taken away. It was then that the silver-haired man made his decision.

"No. That was not a mistake."

Goro's happy expression quickly vanished and was replaced by the one of confusion. He had no time to dwell on what his opponent had said before the heel of Smoke's boot connected with his jaw. The Shokan fell flat on his back and the back of his head collided harshly with the ground.

"Killing you would be a mistake."

Sitting up, Goro rubbed his aching chin and glared again at Tomas.

"What do you mean? Even after what I have said..."

"I understand what you said, and believe me, I did want to kill you. Especially after what you did to my comrades."

Smoke glanced back at Cyrax, who had not moved from his spot on the ground. He assumed that the robot had shut down since he had been so quiet, but Tomas hoped that his friend was not dead.

"But then I thought...maybe you are not as bad as you seem."

An incredulous look spread across Goro's face.

"What?"

"...May I ask you something?"

Tomas waited for Goro to reply, but when the Shokan continued to stare at him in silence, he went on.

"Why exactly do you serve Shao Kahn?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"I just cannot see why anyone would willingly serve that tyrant. Maybe you do take pleasure in others' suffering. Maybe you are just as much of a monster as Shao Kahn."

"What exactly are you implying?"

"I am not implying anything, I just... I want you to look me dead in my eyes and say that you are satisfied with serving Shao Kahn for the rest of your life. I mean... look at yourself. The one thing that made you stand apart from others has been taken from you."

Goro looks down at his two attached arms and then at the ones that were on the ground.

"You know what Shao Kahn does to those he deems useless. Even if you can get your arms back, you have been beaten far too many times. And you were supposed to be the champion of Mortal Kombat. Now you have been defeated by Liu Kang, Kung Lao... and me."

Goro gritted his teeth in anger. He knew there was some truth behind Tomas' words, but he just could not accept that.

"Shao Kahn could care less what happens to you. You are expendable in his eyes."

"Hmph."

With what little energy he had left, Goro picked himself off the ground again and looked at Smoke, but he was no longer angry. With how tired he was from blood loss, the Shokan did not have the strength to be angry anymore.

"That may be so, but..."

A roar from the distance startled both Goro and Tomas. They looked around for the source of the voice, but they did not expect the newcomer to come from above.

"_Tomas, get back!"_

Without hesitation, Smoke quickly jumped back before something crashed down where he was just standing. He landed a good distance away from Goro and looked up at the person who would have crushed him if not for Enenra's aid. It was another Shokan, but this one looked different from Goro. Tomas remembered that Kung Lao had fought this Shokan back at the Coliseum during the tournament. Kintaro.

Smoke also remembered how ferociously the beast had fought and prepared for Kintaro to attack him, but the Shokan's focus was only on Goro. Kintaro grabbed his comrade and turned back to look at Smoke for a moment. The Shokan's eyes showed nothing but hatred towards the silver-haired man. Fortunately, Kintaro made no move towards Tomas and simply turned away. He leapt high into the air with Goro in tow and landed on the top of a skyscraper where the two disappeared from sight. Smoke waited a moment to make sure they would not return before he turned his attention towards Cyrax. He knelt beside the cyborg and gently shook him while calling his name.

"Cyrax? Cyrax, are you okay?"

A few seconds later, Cyrax's eyes changed from their dull gray back to their normal green and the cyborg lifted his head up. While his vision was a bit blurry and one of his eyes even had a crack in it, Cyrax was still able to see Tomas beside him.

"Tomas? What...What happened? Where is...?"

"Do not worry. Kintaro had appeared and took Goro away. They are gone for now."

"...Good."

Cyrax moved to stand up, but Smoke stopped him.

"Wait, you should rest for a moment."

"I will be fine. My nanotechnology is fixing my injuries as we speak. My body will be able to function properly in no time."

Cyrax used Tomas' shoulder to help him stand, but once he was up on his feet, he let go.

"I suppose that is one of the perks of being transformed. Right?"

"...Yeah. I suppose."

Smoke was glad that Cyrax was trying to make light of his robotic body instead of hating himself for it. He was still Cyrax, no matter what he looked like. In that moment, Tomas so was grateful that he truly had his friend back. And speaking of friends...

"Wait, where is Kuai?"

When Smoke asked that question, Cyrax mentally cursed himself. How could he have forgotten about Kuai? The cyborg took off in the direction of the building he saw Sub-zero being thrown into and Tomas quickly followed him. Cyrax went through the giant hole the cryomancer had created and saw Kuai laying on the ground by a desk unconscious. He knelt beside the cryomancer and did a quick scan of his body to see his vital signs since Cyrax could not feel for a pulse. He was relieved to see that his friend's heart was still beating strong.

"Is he alright?"

Smoke was standing next to Cyrax with a worried look. The cyborg nodded his head.

"Kuai is fine. Just give him some time to..."

"Urgh..."

The cyborg looked back at Kuai, who was slowly opening his eyes. He closed them again though because of the light above him and it only made his headache worse.

"Kuai?"

Forcing his eyes to stay open this time, Sub-zero saw two figures beside him. He recognized Cyrax, but the other person he could not see as clearly. But he could make out the ninja-like attire on them and immediately sat up with an ice knife in his hand. Cyrax grabbed the cryomancer's hand and Tomas backed away a little with his hands up once he realized that Kuai may be confused by his appearance.

"Woah, woah! It is me, můj přítel! Tomas!"

Kuai recognized his comrade's voice and when his vision began to clear, he could see Tomas' face. At least the parts that were visible.

"Tomas? What...What the hell are you wearing?"

Even though he knew Kuai was being serious, Tomas could not help but laugh at his friend's question. But he quickly regained his composure.

"I would like to know that myself."

Now Cyrax was staring at Smoke along with Sub-zero. The two looked genuinely curious about the silver-haired man's attire, but Tomas was not sure what to tell them.

"Would you believe me if I said...it was magic?"

* * *

Kintaro and Goro finally stopped in an empty alley and Kintaro sat his comrade by a dumpster to rest. Without warning, the Tigrar Shokan blew fire onto Goro's wounds. Goro howled from the pain, but he knew it needed to be done to stop the bleeding. It felt like an eternity, but Kintaro had finished the task and stepped back to give Goro some space.

"What is this!?"

Goro and Kintaro instantly recognized the voice and they looked down the alleyway to see Sheeva heading their way. A small gasp escaped her when she saw that Goro was missing two of his arms.

"Kintaro, take him back to Outworld. I am sure Shang Tsung can replace his arms."

Kintaro simply nodded and grabbed one of Goro's arms to help him up again. Sheeva said nothing else as she turned around and began to walk away.

"Wait, Sheeva."

The female Shokan stopped and glanced back at Goro, who had gotten up on his own and was leaning against the green dumpster.

"What is it? I must return to the fight."

"...Why?"

Sheeva frowned at the question while turning around to face her Shokan brethren.

"Why? Have you lost sight of our cause? We are fighting for Outworld. For our people."

"But what will happen once Outworld wins this war? What will happen to us?"

"We will be safe. That is all that matters."

"Safe from what? Earthrealm? Or Shao Kahn?"

Clenching her fists, Sheeva stayed silent for a moment. She was not sure what to say to Goro. She took a deep breath and turned away again.

"Now is not the time to be having this discussing, Goro. We will talk once this is over."

Goro and Kintaro then watched as Sheeva leapt into the air and disappeared. Goro sighed and looked back at Kintaro, who looked genuinely confused about the whole matter, but he pushed his confusion aside to help Goro.

"Come. We must see Shang Tsung about your injuries."

Goro only nodded and he and Kintaro took off in the opposite direction of Sheeva to search for a portal back to Outworld.

**Chapter Fifty-Four everybody! Thanks for being so patient. I know I be taking a while to get these chapters up, but I've been having writer's block for some time now. I'm trying to get back into it now with the semester ending and I have a little more free time to write. Anyway, you guys have probably already guessed it, but Smoke is now in his MK9 outfit. Not the alternate one like when they were back in Outworld. I just decided to tell you guys this, because I felt it would be boring if I tried to describe it lol. And for you guys asking about a sequel, I do plan on making one. Hopefully it won't have as many chapters as this one, which was not intended. But it does make me happy that people enjoy this story so much that they want a sequel, so thank you for the reviews! You guys really made my day.**


	56. Chapter Fifty-Five: Speed is Key

**Chapter Fifty-Five: Speed is Key**

With one of Sub-zero's arms slung over his shoulder, Smoke walked out of the ruined building with Cyrax just behind him. One of the soldiers, James, ran up to them and asked if they were alright. Of course, Kuai dismissed his concern with a wave of his hand.

"No need to worry about me. Are you and your comrades alright?"

"Hell yeah! You saved our lives. Isn't that right, Pierce?"

James looked back at Pierce with a smug smirk on his face. Pierce scoffed, but after a moment, his face softened and looked back at Tomas and Kuai.

"Yeah...thanks... but this doesn't change anything."

Seeing the way the soldier's attention was directed mostly at Sub-zero, Smoke turned to his friend with a questioning look.

"What exactly happened while I was gone?"

Kuai Liang only shook his head in response.

"Nothing to be concerned about."

"I would not say that."

The clanking of metal on the ground drew Tomas and Kuai's attention to Cyrax, who looked much better than he had before. Thanks to his nanites, the cyborg's body was slowly repairing itself, but it may take a while before Cyrax was fully functional again.

"Tomas, I…"

Smoke held his hand because he already knew what his comrade was about to say.

"No, it is alright. You have nothing to apologize for. I…I am the one who should be apologizing."

He looked at Cyrax and then back at Sub-zero.

"To both of you."

As Tomas was about to say something else, the communicator on his wrist started beeping. He brought up his arm for the others to see it and pressed the button on the side of the communicator to answer the call.

"This is Sonya Blade. Do you read me?"

Smoke was the one who answered back.

"Yes, we read you, Sonya."

"Raiden's found us a temporary base of operations. It's an old temple with a symbol of a dragon on the front window. I'm sending you its coordinates."

A map showing the layout of Deacon City appeared on the communicator's screen. It zoomed in on a white dot that represented the location of the cathedral Sonya was talking about.

"We'll all meet up at this spot in about an hour to discuss our plans further for the invasion. If you guys can't make it around that time, just give me a call to let me know you're okay."

"Understood."

"Good. Just be careful. The entire city is crawling with monsters."

"Yes, we know. You be careful too, Sonya."

The communicator then turned off and Tomas let his arm drop. Fortunately, Cyrax and Kuai had heard what Sonya had said, so the silver-haired man would not have to repeat anything.

"Let us move on. If we find any survivors, we should immediately escort them to the temple for their safety."

Both Cyrax and Kuai nodded in agreement and they looked back at the soldiers. James nodded back at them while Pierce took out another weapon since his last gun had been destroyed by Goro. He mentally scolded himself for being so careless and swore that he would not be caught off guard like that again. While everyone was getting ready, Smoke heard a voice in the distance. It sounded like the person was in some sort of struggle.

"_You hear it too, yes?"_

Tomas turned away from the others and his eyes darted back and forth as he scanned the area for the source of the voice.

"_Allow me."_

Smoke's sight suddenly began to distort, and he winced as a burning sensation went through his eyes. He closed his eyes tightly and covered them with his hand.

"_By the gods, what did you do, Enenra!?"_

"_Stop your whining and open your eyes. You will thank me for this."_

Slowly, Tomas opened one of his eyes and soon after that, he opened the other. His vision was still a bit blurred, but it quickly sharpened and he almost jumped back at how… incredibly clear everything seemed. He could see every detail of the ladybug that was crawling right next to his foot. He could see the scar on the eagle's side that flew overhead, even though it had been mostly hidden by feathers. And he could see a fight happening far off from Smoke and his team. One of the fighters was a Shokan, but she was a female. The other had on a mask and used what appeared to be hook swords as weapons.

But Tomas did not notice one very important thing until he happened to look up at a window of a wrecked clothing store. His improved sight made it so he could see his reflection clearly even when the window was full of cracks. He again raised his hand to his eyes as he saw how much they had…changed.

_"My…my eyes."_

_ "An improvement, I say."_

Smoke's eyes had changed from their silver color to a much darker gray and his pupils were now slitted with a hint of red around them.

_"This is not…permanent, right?"_

_ "Of course not. I only allowed you to temporarily use my eyesight. Do not worry."_

The strange sensation returned for a brief moment as Tomas' eyes returned to their normal state. The transformation truly amazed the silver-haired man.

_"There are some perks to being a demon, you know."_

Smoke sighed and looked down at his attire. His silver armor glowed in the small rays of sunlight that managed to break through the storm clouds. As much as he hated it, Tomas agreed with Enenra. The powers he had gained because of the demon have been useful and they are the reason Smoke has been able to survive for so long. They were a blessing…as well as a curse.

_"This does not change anything, Enenra. I will not allow you to gain control of me if your only intention is to harm others."_

_ "Hmph… As you wish."_

"Tomas."

Someone calling his name and a hand on his shoulder drew Tomas out of his thoughts. He immediately knew that it was Kuai who was standing behind him, because the air seemed to get a couple degrees colder whenever the cryomancer was near. Smoke turned to his friend and arched a brow when he saw the deadpan expression on Sub-zero's face.

"Look, we get it, Tomas. You are a handsome man. The gods have truly blessed you. But could you please stop staring at your damn reflection and focus on the mission?"

At first, Smoke was not sure how to react to Sub-zero's words, but a few seconds later, he laughed. A good, genuine laugh.

"Was that your attempt at a joke, my friend?"

"Yes…and no. We really should be going, Tomas."

"I agree. But there is something I wish to investigate."

Tomas pointed in the direction he saw the two fighters.

"The is a battle happening over there. A Shokan is involved and is fighting against someone in a mask. If they are fighting against the Shokan, then maybe they are on our side."

"How do you know this? I cannot see anything from here."

"No, Tomas is right."

The two men turned to Cyrax, who was looking in the direction Smoke had pointed to.

"I detect two heat signatures to the northeast. One of them is indeed a Shokan, specifically the one called Sheeva. I remember seeing her on Shang Tsung's island. The other fighter's identity, however, is unknown to me."

"Do you think we should get involved with their fight?"

Cyrax turned to Tomas and nodded.

"In this war, we need all the allies we can get. If there is a chance that this fighter will join us, it is worth investigating."

"Alright, but…what about the soldiers?"

The trio looked back at the group of soldiers who were awaiting their next instructions. After the battle with Goro, Smoke did not think that the soldiers would of much help to them against another Shokan, male or female. They would be useful with the survivors though, at least if they had someone there to guide them. Cyrax seemed to know exactly what Tomas was thinking and he soon spoke up.

"I will lead the soldiers to the temple, as well as any other people we may come across. May I see your communicator, Tomas?"

Tomas nodded and held out his wrist communicator again for Cyrax. The cyborg clamped his hand around it and as soon as he made contact with the device, his eyes began to glow. It only lasted for a brief moment, but it was long enough for Cyrax to complete his task.

"I now have the coordinates that Sonya sent to you. I can lead the soldiers to the temple without any problems. Or at least without any problems with directions."

Cyrax then grabbed both Smoke and Sub-zero's shoulder and gave them a gentle squeeze. Or at least what he believed what gentle since he could not physically feel anything, but the cyborg's comrades showed no signs of discomfort. That was a good sign.

"You two go ahead but do be careful. Especially you, Tomas. And please do not disappear again."

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"I am being serious. We are here for you, Tomas…we really are."

Cyrax gave Smoke a quick pat on his back before letting go of his comrades.

"Come back in one piece. I mean that."

Both Smoke and Sub-zero nodded and sprinted down the street to the ongoing battle. They quickly made it to their destination, which was a bridge that looked as though it would fall apart any second with the giant hole in the side of it. The duo stopped a few yards away from their targets, who had not noticed their presence, and watched the fight from afar. Sheeva seemed to be struggling to hit her opponent, the man with the mask, due to his unnatural speed. And it truly was unnatural.

The man zoomed around Sheeva so fast that human eyes would not be able to keep up with him. Even Tomas and Kuai were having trouble seeing the speedster's movements. He landed a few kicks on Sheeva before finishing her off with an uppercut and the Shokan fell unconscious as soon as her body hit the ground. The masked man looked at his hands in amazement, as though he was amazed that he had defeated Sheeva himself.

"Starting to feel like the old days. Only faster."

As he looked up, the speedster finally saw Smoke and Sub-zero in the distance. He immediately got back into his fighting stance.

"Look, I just beat one of you Lin Kuei guys. I'll sure as hell take you down if you don't back off."

Smoke was not sure why this man associated him and Sub-zero with the Lin Kuei, but then he thought about what he was wearing and soon understood. He really did look like he belonged with the infamous assassin clan. Holding up his hands, the silver-haired man slowly approached the speedster.

"We are not Lin Kuei. Not anymore."

"And why should I believe you?"

"You have no reason to trust us. But if we wanted you dead, we could have killed you while you were occupied with that Shokan."

"Shokan?"

The man glanced at Sheeva, who still laid motionless on the ground.

"That's what she is, huh? Good to know, I guess."

He turned back to Tomas.

"But if you're not Lin Kuei, then who are you? You're not working with that Shao Kahn guy, are you?"

Tomas shook his head.

"And I am assuming you are not allied with him either?"

The speedster nodded.

"Right."

"Then we are on the same page."

"Seems that way."

Believing he had earned a bit of the man's trust, Smoke lowered his hands.

"Good. I am called Smoke."

Sub-zero took that as his cue to step up and introduce himself.

"And I am called Sub-zero."

The man nodded again and dropped his stance

"I'm…"

The speedster stopped himself as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Time seemed to stop as he dodged a giant blast of electricity flew past him and headed straight for Tomas and Kuai. The two men quickly ducked, and the projectile flew over them to hit a car behind them. The vehicle was immediately destroyed and it erupted into a pile of flames. Smoke and Sub-zero looked back at the car to see the damage that had been inflicted upon it, but the masked man did not look impressed. Instead, he sighed and turned around to face his attacker.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

**Shout-out to Jacksepticeye! He was my inspiration for the title of this chapter and for those of you who have not heard of him, I encourage you to check him out on Youtube. He is absolutely hilarious and fun to watch! Oh, and just a little fun fact about the last chapter. The phrase "****můj přítel" ****means "my friend" in Czech. Thank god for google translate! **


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